Folkestone Invicta 3-3 Carshalton Athletic - Three-one down at half-time, you take a draw and you reflect that but yes I suppose it's what could've been, that's football, says disappointed Folkestone Invicta boss Jay Saunders

Folkestone Invicta 3 – 3 Carshalton Athletic
Location	Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU
Kickoff	28/03/2026 15:00

FOLKESTONE INVICTA  3-3  CARSHALTON ATHLETIC
Isthmian League Premier Division
Saturday 28 March 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road

FOLKESTONE INVICTA manager Jay Saunders says he probably wanted to kill half his squad for their first-half performance after an impressive Carshalton Athletic side shocked the champions-elect at Cheriton Road.

A crowd of 2,097 – the second highest here this season – were expecting Folkestone Invicta to beat Steven Bates’ side – who arrived on the Kent coast sitting in the bottom six and four points clear of the seventh-tier Isthmian League Premier Division relegation zone.

Folkestone Invicta took the lead courtesy of left-wing-back Ben Mason’s eighth-goal of the season.

But Bates’ side were playing like the champions-elect towards the end of the first half, scoring three goals in the space of 11 minutes to leave the home faithful stunned.

Right winger Ryan Huke notched his first goal for the Robbins, with a well-worked move along the deck to level, before left-winger Toluwadara Ladapo cut in to find the top far corner with a sublime finish from 30-yards for his seven goal of the campaign.

Carshalton Athletic striker Nathan Young-Coombes then stabbed in following a corner to leave Folkestone Invicta with a mountain to climb at the interval.

However, centre-half Liam Smith headed home a set-piece before substitute wideman Ryan Kingsford drilled in an equaliser to restore parity, with Folkestone Invicta needing two more points from their last five games to win promotion into the National League South for the very first time.

“Disappointed – literally a game of two halves,” admitted Saunders, whose side have picked up eight points from their last four games.

“Really disappointed with the first half apart from the first 15, which I thought we started really well and then I thought for the rest of the half, they scored and then the second one, I think was quite wind assisted, it’s a hell of a strike!

“But then we went in our shells a bit, very unlike us and half-time couldn’t come quick enough!  Once we got us in, obviously the second half’s much better.

“I think they’re a side, if you’re down there like they are, you kind of have a go - you’ve got nothing to lose!

“I spoke to their gaffer before the game, he sort of said, ‘we’ve got a free hit really,’ and I thought the occasion first half got to us (Folkestone) a little bit.

“We started really well first half, first 10-15 minutes to be fair. They’ve got some lads in the forward areas that caused us problems in the first half.”

Folkestone Invicta started the game on the front foot, with Carshalton Athletic putting their bodies on the line and making four penalty box blocks during the early stages of this enthralling contest.

The Kent side took a deserved lead with 13 minutes and 10 seconds on the clock, following a well-worked move and an emphatic finish at the end.

Smith – who played on the right of three central defenders – played the ball out to high right-wing-back Joshua Strouts before Smith played a first time ball into winger Donell Thomas before Strouts (who was withdrawn at the interval having pulled his quad muscle) fizzed in a great low cross towards the far post where the unmarked Mason rifled his first-time shot into the top left-hand corner from inside the six-yard box.

Saunders said: “Whenever Ben’s playing on the left-side, his goal contributions is very good and at that point we were getting down the right side quite well.

“I thought some of the movement was decent, so I was pleased with the link-up there and it’s a really well-worked goal.”

Kevin Lokko – who played in the centre of Folkestone’s three central defenders – was a constant aerial threat at set-pieces inside the Carshalton Athletic box.

Thomas floated in the first of Folkestone’s 10 corners (nine coming in the second half) towards the back post where the 30-year-old rose and guided his header across the keeper and past the top of the far post.

Carshalton Athletic (who played out from the back and kept the floor on the carpet) certainly didn’t read the script as they grabbed the equaliser with their first real opportunity, timed at 19 minutes and 59 seconds.

Polish keeper Hubert Graczyk kicked the ball along the deck to deep attacking midfielder Eddie Allsopp, who played the ball into Ladapo, who played the ball in behind Sam German for Huke to take a touch before clinically cracking a right-footed drive which went through Ted Collins’ outstretched arm and into the roof of the net.

“I’ll have to see that back, I’m not sure,” replied Saunders, when suggested that his goalkeeper should have done better with the shot from the edge of the box.

“But it’s the build-up to it. I’m not putting anything on Ted.  Look, the wind was very strong going that way (towards the cricket ground end) but the lead up to that was poor from us in midfield.

“They dropped it in midfield from the keeper, they were able to turn, play it through to the forward. Sam German’s not tight enough and they move it.

“It looked like a good strike from where I was but disappointed with the build-up to it and at that point they haven’t really caused us a problem too much and they score and to be fair their tails were up after that.”

Carshalton Athletic grabbed the lead, courtesy of a quality strike, with 26 minutes and 54 seconds on the clock.

Luke Read rolled the ball out to high right-wing-back Denzel Akyeampong, before central midfielder Fabio Saravia rolled the ball inside to Ladapo, who cut inside and into space and unleashed a sublime right-footed drive across the keeper into the top far corner from 30-yards on the angle.

“Disappointed in that. We told Stroutsy (Strouts) to make sure we keep him outside. Once he comes inside, as soon as it left his foot, you can see it’s going in,” said Saunders.

“I’m not taking anything from the strike but the winds probably helped that. It sort of seemed to have gathered pace as it went on and sometimes you’ve got to hold your hands up and say ‘good strike!’

“At that point, it shocked us, I think it’s fair to say it shocked us and we went into our shell and for the rest of the half, they were much better than us.”

When asked whether his players just didn’t deal with the expectancy levels put on them today, Saunders replied, “I think so. I think you can see that. We scored, when we did, early, I think a few of them sat off it and thought we’re going to cruise it and win this three or four because when we’ve scored early here, we have scored a lot of goals and think maybe we just took our eye of the ball.

“But I think the conditions played its part today. I thought first half with the wind it was really hard to deal with.  You could see second half they struggled to deal with it.  Look, we’ll take the positives and move on and hopefully we get over the line soon.

“But it is what it is. We move on. We’re in a good place. If you said to anyone in the League, would they want to be in our position? I’m sure every manger would bite your hand off, so it just means we’re stretching it for another week.”

Carshalton Athletic were playing some lovely crisp football on the artificial pitch and they were to be denied by a vital save from Collins (30:15).

Central midfielder Read released Huke, who cut inside before playing in Allsopp and the former Folkestone and Faversham Town man stroked his right-footed shot towards the bottom near corner, only for Collins to use his fingertips to tip around the post.

Carshalton Athletic scored from the resulting corner, their third of eight (seven coming in the first half) with 30 minutes and 54 seconds on the clock.

Allsopp swung the ball in with quality with his right-foot from the left, the ball was flicked on at the near-post and fell kindly for Young-Coombes to stab the ball over the line from inside the six-yard box.

“I don’t really know how it’s got to him,” admitted Saunders.

“We’re normally strong defending from set-pieces and today, whether it was the wind that caused us the problem, I’m not sure.

“I probably need to see it back but I don’t really know how that one’s gone in. It seemed to be in slow motion but from our point of view (it was) very poor defending.”

When asked how he was feeling at that part of the game, Saunders admitted: “I couldn’t tell you what’s going through my mind apart from I probably wanted to kill half my squad! That was probably what was going through my mind, mate!

“Just couldn’t wait for half-time to come quick enough. I think we said on the bench ‘we’ve just got to come in without conceding another.’

Carshalton Athletic were playing like the champions-elect at this point – not a side that are currently looking over their shoulders but Bates has now collected 10 points from his seven games in charge of the Colston Avenue outfit since taking over from Peter Adeniyi on 19 February.

The Robbins are tonight four points clear of Ryan Maxwell’s Welling United (35 points from 36 games), who climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time this season with a 1-1 draw at Wingate & Finchley, swapping places with Hashtag United, who announced voluntary relegation in the week and suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat away to Dartford today.

Hashtag United (35 points), Cray Valley (34), Canvey Island (26) and Potters Bar Town (26, with a game in hand, away to Welling United) are in the relegation zone.

Collins made a big double-save to keep Carshalton Athletic at bay just five seconds before stoppage time.

Ladapo and Young-Coombes linked up well down the left inside the final third outside the Folkestone penalty area before Ladapo played in Huke and Collins dived low to his right to parry, and went the same way to frustrate Young-Coomes from the rebound.

Saunders said: “I just think their tails were up. We were a bit shocked. Look everyone was coming here today going ‘we can win the League; we can do this or that.’

“I think as staff you tell the players not to think about it. This and that but it’s in the back of everyone’s minds and I think when we go 1-0 up, maybe we just thought the job was done.

“I think too many players thought the job was done and all off a sudden they go bang, bang, three goals and we’re almost shocked, if you like, so yes, it was just a bonus that we didn’t concede after that and we were able to get in at half-time.”

There was still time for Folkestone Invicta to receive a lucky-break, two minutes and eight seconds into stoppage time following Carshalton’s fifth flag-kick.

Huke delivered a deep hanging outswinging corner from the right towards unmarked centre-half Leo Young and his looping header bounced off the top of the crossbar.

A relieved Saunders added: “Poor from our point of view again with regards to marking at set-pieces, so yes fortunately it didn’t go in.”

Saunders certainly earned his corn during the half-time interval as his inspired words saw his players go on to salvage a point with a dominant second half.

Saunders admitted his words were ‘not repeatable’, as he read his players the riot act.

“I felt, not many times I can say, I’ve been disappointed with the boys this season.

“I was really disappointed with the first half performance, or probably the last half-hour of the first half.

“Apologies for the first half performance. I’d like to think (the Folkestone fans) saw the real us second half and we showed a bit of fight and stick with us, we’ll get there.

“I just felt we thought we’d just roll them over. It disappointed me. That’s not normally us, so at half-time it was a case of making them fully aware of that.  We had to re-group, put some things into them that we needed them to do and show a reaction and to be fair they did that, I guess, second half.”

German travelled over the half-way line with the ball before releasing Mason down the left, before the ball was worked to 17-goal striker Joe Pigott inside the box and Pigott laid the ball off first time to German, who hit a first time shot over the crossbar with his right foot (7:43).

Saunders admitted: “He should’ve scored! Yes, good move but should score, I think, or at least hit the target. It’s a centre-halves shot, I think you’ll say, but he’ll be disappointed he’s not hit the target.”

Folkestone Invicta pulled a goal back with nine minutes and 43 seconds, following a set-piece.

Thomas put in a good ball with his right-foot from the left and Smith sent his downward header, which crept inside the bottom left (far) corner to bring belief back into the ranks following his third goal of the season.

“Great ball, great ball and I thought a decent header from Liam, so at that point we needed that, we needed that, probably needed one quicker after as well,” added Saunders, who was pleased with his side’s second half reaction to avoid only their fifth League defeat of the season.

“Look, you’d have to say on the second half performance, it is a good reaction but we’ve let ourselves down in that spell first half.

“Look, we had the best defensive record in the League before today, we probably haven’t now. I think Chatham have overtaken us. We don’t give away a lot and today we’ve let in three from my point of view, poor goals.”

Kevin Hake’s side have conceded 30 League goals, Invicta have let in 31.

Holding midfielder Adam Lovatt put in a deep cross from the left towards the back post where Lokko rose to steer his header past the upright as the home side kept knocking on the door.

A dominant Folkestone Invicta deserved their leveller when it arrived with 29 minutes and 17 seconds on the clock, following their fifth corner.

Thomas swung the ball in from the left, visiting keeper Graczyk punched the ball into a crowd of players in the centre of his penalty area.

Smith dropped to the deck within this crowd but showed desire to sweep the ball out to Kingsford, who took a touch before clinically driving his shot across the keeper into the bottom far corner.

“Great finish and I’m delighted for Ryan. It’s been tough for him since he’s come here but he’s shown his quality there today and I’m delighted for him,” said Saunders.

“One thing I’ll say, I thought our subs had an impact today. I thought Nathan Paul-Lavaly (right wing-back and five long throws) and Ryan were big bonuses coming off the bench.”

Saunders was asked whether he knew how Aveley and Chatham Town were getting on elsewhere.

“To a degree. I knew at half-time. I made the players aware of it and all I heard was two-all (Aveley v Cray Wanderers) and right at the end I heard over the tannoy say 3-2 (Cray Wanderers had beaten Aveley).

“So we kept going. I think you could see we still wanted to win it. I think Blacky (Lloyd Blackman) said to me at one point ‘look, do we stick with a draw?’ but we wanted to go for it at the end – but unfortunately we couldn’t find that winner.”

Blue skies on a windy day turned into rain and swirling windy conditions and a rainbow was seen above the stadium but there was to be no pot of gold (the Isthmian League Premier Division title) here today, despite results going for Invicta.

Lokko launched a long ball forward from defence and Carshalton Athletic centre-half Oluwafikayo Atewologun’s clearance went straight to Pigott (now playing behind a front two of a quiet Jake Hutchinson and substitue Ade Yusuff) outside the box and the 32-year-old striker ran into the penalty area and cut onto his left-foot to chip the ball just over the Carshalton crossbar (39:54).

“I think they put a lot of bodies behind the ball at that point and it becomes scrappy and hard and there were little penalty shouts but it all becomes scrappy at that point,” said Saunders.

“I was a little bit disappointed that we didn’t keep moving the ball and get it into wide areas because I thought Donel (Thomas) was causing problems there and Ryan (Kingsford) over the other side.

“It is what it is. Three-one down at half-time, you take a draw and you reflect that but yes, I suppose it’s what could’ve been. That’s football.”

Carshalton Athletic created just one goalscoring chance during the second half (45:41) as Portuguese central midfielder Saravia drilled a speculative low left-footed shot just past the foot of the right-hand post from 35-yards.

But with the large home faithful urging on their side, Saunders’ side just couldn’t find the goal that would have won the Isthmian League Premier Division title – 10-years on since Neil Cugley’s side claimed the Isthmian League Division One title with a 6-0 home win over Walton & Hersham.

Saunders said: “I suppose the only reason I’m not overly really gutted is because I didn’t expect us to win the League today. I didn’t expect them both to drop points so I’m kind of sitting here thinking ‘ok, well,’. I think like if it was nailed on, I’d be sitting here cursing and really cross!

“I’ll look at the positives, we’ve shown a good response second half, fantastic crowd and we go again next week.”

It was a case of what could have been had Folkestone Invicta claimed the win.

“Just imagine how the celebrations would’ve been at the end but look, it wasn’t to be and like I say we go again next week.  We’ve got the Bank Holiday weekend obviously and an opportunity to go and win it.”

Folkestone Invicta need two points from their last five outings to win the title, starting with a trip to play tenth-placed St Albans City next Saturday.

Gary McCann’s side have picked up 53 points (15 wins, eight draws and 14 defeats) and lost 2-0 at relegation threatened side Cray Valley (Paper Mills) today.

Folkestone Invicta then welcome Ramsgate to Cheriton Road on Easter Monday, 6 Aprill, before completing their campaign against Whitehawk (away, 11 April), Cray Valley (away, 18 April) and at home to Cheshunt seven days later.

Folkestone Invicta go into the final month of the season in pole position, having picked up 85 points (26 wins, seven draws and four defeats) from their 37 games.

Aveley (71 points), Chatham Town (70), Billericay Town (69) and Brentwood Town (68) remain in the play-off zone tonight.

Dartford (64), Cray Wanderers (61), Burgess Hill Town (58), Ramsgate (54) and St Albans City (53) make up the top 10, all 10 of these sides have five League games remaining.

“Look, nothing’s changed for us. I said in the week, the way I’m looking at it, we need two wins to win the League and I guess today although it’s a draw, we kind of tick one off and now we need one win in what five games is it, to get across the line,” said Saunders.

“Obviously we want to do it sooner rather than later but this stage of the season you’ve got Carshalton fighting for their lives. No game’s easy, I guess today we saw that.

“St Albans won’t be easy. It’s a really tough place to go and I’ve got a lot of time for Gary (McCann) and they’ve got players that can hurt you, so we’ve got to be a lot better defensively and if we do that then hopefully next week, Aveley are playing (at) Chatham so Chatham can’t catch us now, so it’s just Aveley, so hopefully Chatham can do us a favour.”

Coming out of a disappointed home dressing room, and facing the post-match questions inside his manager’s office, Saunders set the mood within his camp after failing to get it over the line at home.

“They were disappointed. That’s why I pulled them at the end of the game just to say ‘listen boys, results went our way and our target stays the same!’

“I made it very clear at training on Thursday, we need two wins to win the League and that hasn’t changed. Ones ticked off now. We have to win Saturday and if we do that then we know we’ll be sitting here and we’ll be making our way back from St Albans with a trophy, so nothing changes. We’ll train this week and we’ll train well and hopefully get that result.”

Folkestone Invicta: Ted Collins, Joshua Strouts (Nathan Paul-Lavaly 46), Ben Mason (Joel-Michael Odeniran 89), Kevin Lokko, Liam Smith, Sam German (Ade Yusuff 65), Alex Woodyard (Ryan Kingsford 70), Adam Lovatt, Jake Hutchinson, Joe Pigott, Donell Thomas.
Sub: Ronnie Dolan

Goals: Ben Mason 14, Liam Smith 55, Ryan Kingsford 75

Booked: Alex Woodyard 61

Carshalton Athletic: Hubert Graczyk, Denzel Owoahene-Akyeampong, Renedi Masampu, Fabio Saravia, Leo Young, Oluwafikayo Atewologun, Toluwadara Ladapo (Fareed Salifu 59, Tommy Bradford 82)), Luke Read, Nathan Young-Coombes (Charlie George 90), Eddie Allsopp (Lawrence Ernest 54), Ryan Huke (Robert Howard 56).

Goals: Ryan Huke 20, Toluwadara Ladapo 27, Nathan Young-Coombes 31

Booked: Nathan Young-Coombes 74

Attendance: 2,097
Referee: Mr Harry Wood
Assistants: Mr Stephen Ryan & Mr David Stappleton