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Folkestone Invicta went down to a narrow 1-0 defeat away to fourth-placed Worthing on Tuesday night as the hone side took all three points thanks to a 78^th minute winner from Richard Pacquette despite playing the final half hour with ten men, writes Richard Murrill.

The Rebels’ captain Mark Cable had been sent off for violent conduct on the hour mark as all hell broke loose on the Invicta goal line when an almighty scramble led to a free-for-all involving numerous players from both sides. Referee H. Lennard gave Cable his marching orders after consulting both assistants following the melee.

But the home side scored the decisive goal when striker Pacquette got the final touch from close range at a windy Victor Gladwish Stadium when Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell could not hold a shot from substitute Jamie Brotherton and Stafford Browne hit the subsequent rebound goalbound.

Invicta had kept the same starting line up which had won so well in the FA Cup at Aylesbury on Saturday. But the Folkestone side was again to come unstuck against a Worthing outfit which has become something of a bogey side, having now completed a Ryman Premier League double over Invicta for a second successive season.

During the early exchanges, Kessell parried a Pacquette shot after 12 minutes which had to be cleared to safety, whilst at the other end home goalkeeper Mark Ormerod touched a Stuart Myall shot round the post when Martin Chandler broke and found Paul Jones following a Worthing corner.

Ormerod got down to save a low Myall shot from outside the penalty area after 24 minutes and the ball was cleared from close to the Worthing line when Myall hit a free kick from the left hand edge of the penalty area after 38 minutes when a Kessell kick struck a Worthing hand.

James Dryden then shot at Ormerod in the middle of the box after 41 minutes when Jones held the ball up and played the ball across following Paul Lamb’s forward pass down the left hand side.

The conditions favoured Invicta during the first half and Ormerod saved a hooked Dryden shot during stoppage time when centre half Adam Flanagan got forward to head on a Myall throw in from the right.

Matt Russell missed a good chance for Worthing after 50 minutes when he shot wide following a cross from the right.

The incident leading up to Cable’s dismissal was the game’s major talking point and Danny Davis fired just wide of the post following a run down the middle as the game settled down again somewhat after 75 minutes.

As well as Cable’s dismissal, there were bookings for Worthing’s Ben Andrews and Browne and for Invicta captain Micheal Everitt and Myall.

Invicta gave a late substitute appearance to Rob Knott as they chased a late equaliser, only his second senior run out for the club after also coming on as a substitute in last season’s corresponding fixture away to Worthing.

Worthing: Ormerod, Holmes, Knee, Lutwyche, Cable, Davis, Andrews, Pacquette, Francis (Alexander 68), Russell (Brotherton 73), Browne.  Subs: Pullan, Charles, Leaver.

Folkestone Invicta: Kessell, J. Everitt, Lamb (Knott 83), Flanagan, Guest, Chandler, M. Everitt, Myall, Dryden, Jones, Norman.  Unused subs: Watson, Sly, Mann.

 Attendance: 408.