Folkestone Invicta 2-3 Billericay Town

Folkestone Invicta went out of the FA Carlsberg Trophy when they lost an exciting Second Qualifying Round tie 3-2 at home to Billericay Town at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon despite leading 2-1 at half time, writes Richard Murrill.

Striker Ellis Remy and captain Adam Flanagan had scored to twice put Neil Cugley’s side ahead during the first half, but the visitors turned the game around with two goals during the final 20 minutes.

Substitute Rikki Burbridge was the Essex side’s hero as he hit an 89th minute winner with his first touch of the game.

On a sunny afternoon, Invicta gave a debut to new 18-year-old loan signing Luke Howell, from Gillingham, with Micheal Everitt being passed fit after his eye injury at Ramsgate the previous Saturday and younger brother James the one to drop to the substitutes’ bench.

For their part, Billericay were missing suspended captain Jamie Dormer.

Joe Flack fired over for the visitors after nine minutes when a Nathan Elder shot from outside the penalty area deflected off Invicta defender Steve Norman.

Invicta themselves had a chance after 17 minutes when Norman put Remy clear of the Billericay defence, only for the striker’s shot to be saved by goalkeeper Ronnie Worster.

But the home side opened the scoring after 23 minutes when the same pair combined as top goalscorer Remy slotted the ball into the net when put through again by Norman.

Billericay had not previously scored in an away fixture against Invicta, but when they did it was worth the wait as the prolific Elder produced a superb header to equalise after 37 minutes when Chris Whelpdale played the ball in from the right.

It was Elder’s fifth goal in this season’s F. A. Trophy and his eighth in his last seven matches.

But Invicta restored their lead three minutes later when a Mark Saunders shot was blocked by defender Darren Blewitt and centre half and Billericay resident Flanagan rose to head in Norman’s subsequent corner from the right.

Saunders, though, had to be replaced in the 45th minute with a bad nose injury as Invicta lost a bloodied player before half time for the second successive Saturday.

There was danger inside the Invicta box during first half stoppage time when Blewitt met a Lee Hodges corner from the right.

But Remy shot over at the other end with the last kick of the first half.

Billericay came out as though they meant business during the second half in what was a typically tight hard-fought game between the two clubs.

Invicta, though, had a chance to increase their lead when Remy did not make the most of his volleyed chance after Kevin Watson had played a great ball in from the right in the 69th minute.

And Billericay were level again when Whelpdale made it 2-2 with a low shot into the net from outside the penalty area after 73 minutes.

There were chances at both ends after 75 minutes as elder missed a great opportunity for Billericay at the far post from a Hodges free kick on the right and Invicta’s Paul Jones then shot wide after a ball over the visiting defence.

Substitute James Everitt missed another Invicta chance after 78 minutes when his shot was blocked by a defender after Jones played the ball across at the second attempt following a good ball down the right from Watson.

Billericay goalkeeper Worster got down to save a well-struck Remy shot after 85 minutes.

Any relief Invicta may have felt at the late withdrawal of danger man Elder soon disappeared as his replacement Burbridge made an immediate and decisive impact when he slotted the ball into the net across goal when the ball was played across from right to left.

Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell then had to keep out a Whelpdale piledriver from outside the penalty area deep into stoppage time when Hodges played the ball across to him from the left.

Folkestone Invicta: Kessell, Watson, Norman, Flanagan, Friend, Okikiolu, M. Everitt, Howell, Remy, Saunders (J. Everitt 44), Jones (Matata 83). Subs: Neilson, Rainbow, Stonebridge.

Billericay Town: Worster, McSweeney, Kerrigan, Blewitt, Heffer, Game, Whelpdale, Hunter, Elder (Burbridge 86), Flack (Hill 51), Hodges. Subs: Semanshi, Holland, Wayman.

Attendance: 344