Folkestone Invicta 2-4 Ashford Town (aet)

Extra time goals from George Fenwick (penalty) and substitute Lee Ealham gave Ashford Town victory in Monday night’s John Ullman Kent Senior Cup First Round tie at the Buzzlines Stadium after Invicta had come back from 2-0 down to force the extra half hour, writes Richard Murrill.

Fenwick had also opened the scoring from the penalty spot, with Anthony Allman increasing the visitors’ lead with a stunning free kick before goals from strikers Paul Jones and Walid Matata brought Invicta level.

For the home side, it was a third successive defeat in three different competitions and Neil Cugley’s side now only have the remainder of their Ryman Premier League programme to concentrate on this season.

Following the release of Samuel Kola Okikiolu and Ellis Remy at the weekend, Invicta recalled striker Matata to the starting line up and welcomed back new signing Roy Guiver at centre half for his first appearance in Invicta colours since November 2001.

Mark Saunders was missing after his bad nose injury sustained at the weekend, while Ashford were without former Invicta pair Drew Watkins (injured) and Matt Carruthers (flu).

James Everitt rifled a shot wide for Invicta when Matata played the ball to him in the third minute after Ashford goalkeeper Simon Overland had come out to deny Jones.

At the other end, a George Fenwick shot was blocked close to the line by Invicta captain Adam Flanagan after eight minutes when Ashford won the game’s first corner on the right hand side.

Invicta were themselves close three minutes later when Steve Norman hit a low piledriver after Kevin Watson had sent over the home side’s first corner of the game from the right hand side.

18-year-old striker Luke Coleman’s shot on the turn for Ashford was deflected for a corner after 19 minutes following a move involving Simon Glover, Tom Adlington, Joby Thorogood and George Fenwick.

But Invicta then had penalty appeals turned down when the ball appeared to be handled inside the area by an Ashford defender.

Luke Howell shot at goalkeeper Overland from a central position after 28 minutes, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring when James Everitt pushed George Fenwick inside the penalty area and the Ashford striker himself got up to convert the subsequent 30th minute spot kick.

Jones forced a corner for Invicta three minutes later, but it was 2-0 in the 44th minute when Ashford captain Allman unleashed a gem of a free kick from all of 30 yards following a decision against Flanagan.

Invicta were thrown a lifeline deep into first half stoppage time when former Ashford striker Jones found then net after Overland could only parry the ball when a James Everitt free kick came off an Ashford head.

The home side dominated the second half as loan signing Howell went past goalkeeper Overland but shot over from a tight angle down the right hand side in the 48th minute and Howell then shot over after surging into the penalty area four minutes later.

A great Matata header then came back off the inside of the post when Watson played the ball in from the right hand side in the 59th minute.

Matata then couldn’t quite get the ball across to striking partner Jones in the middle a minute later and Adlington cleared to deny Matata in the 65th minute when Watson played the ball down the right to Jones.

Ashford defender Marc Cumberbatch then cleared off the line when a Watson corner from the right caused further problems in the Ashford penalty area after 66 minutes.

Thorogood was booked for a foul in the 67th minute which led to a Flanagan shot on the turn being deflected for another corner from Norman’s subsequent free kick on the left.

For Ashford, Coleman shot across goal from the left hand side after 73 minutes and Tony Kessell had to save when Adam O’Neill was put through three minutes later.

But Invicta were level in the 81th minute when Matata headed in Norman’s ball in from the left hand side.

The home side pushed Flanagan up to centre forward as they chased a winner and substitute Simon Rainbow shot over when presented with an 88th minute chance in a move involving Liam Friend, Jones and Flanagan.

Friend was also involved at the other end two minutes later when he blocked a Thorogood shot after Coleman played the ball across from the left.

Ashford restored their lead within two minutes of extra time when Fenwick converted his second penalty of the game when Guiver was adjudged to have brought down Coleman and was also booked.

Invicta came desperately close to another equaliser during first half stoppage time of extra time when Jones couldn’t quite force the ball home in the middle after Flanagan tapped the ball to Rainbow on the left and Overland then did well to deny Matata.

But Ashford put the tie beyond doubt when substitute Joe Hitchings capitalised on a mistake in the Inivcta defence and laid the ball to fellow substitute Lee Ealham who thumped the ball into the net with a clinical finish.

Ashford’s O’Neill was also booked for kicking the ball away after 72 minutes.

Invicta substitute Rainbow made a first senior appearance after a good start to the season for the reserves, while there were first appearances on the bench for youngsters Chris Fagg and Leon Dix.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Watson, Norman, Flanagan, Friend, Guiver, M. Everitt, Howell, Matata, J. Everitt (Rainbow 79), Jones. Subs: Fagg, Saunders, Dix, Stonebridge.

ASHFORD TOWN: Overland, Adlington, Jarrett-Elliott (Hitchings 94), Cumberbatch, N. Fenwick, Glover, Thorogood, Allman, G. Fenwick, Coleman (Ealham 112), O’Neill. Sub: Tanner.

Attendance: 164.