Folkestone Invicta 4-3 Walton & Hersham

Folkestone Invicta made it three successive Ryman Premier League wins and recorded their first home win of the season after racing into a 4-1 half time lead before hanging on for the final quarter of an hour following two goals in three minutes from the visitors, writes Richard Murrill.

Centre forward Ellis Remy scored a first half hat-trick to take his tally to five goals in the last four matches as he and striking partner Paul Jones enjoyed a fruitful opening 45 minutes.

Scoring goals had been Invicta’s problem at the start of the season, but you would not have thought so as a revitalised Jones and a rampant Remy both scored within the opening ten minutes.

Fielding an unchanged starting eleven for a fifth consecutive match, Invicta were ahead as early as the third minute courtesy of Jones’ first goal since he found the net at home to Chelmsford City last November.

Jones was played clean through down the left hand channel of the penalty area, cut back on and held his nerve to end his barren spell in front of goal with a well-taken shot.

Remy was then played in down the right hand side of the box two minutes later but shot wide as the ball hit a bobble.

Jones was put clean through again by Kevin Watson in the sixth minute but this time goalkeeper Nick Gindre saved with his feet.

It was all Invicta and Remy made it 2-0 in the eighth minute when he shot into the net across goal as Jones turned provider by putting him through.

Remy then shot wide across goal again after 16 minutes when the in-form Watson played the ball forward again.

But centre half Will Jenkins pulled a goal back in the 20th minute when he headed in the visitors’ first corner of the game sent over by Steve McNamara from the right hand side.

Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell had to save with one hand when McNamara found Ben Thorne down the left hand side in the box after 22 minutes and Bobby Traynor hit a low shot wide of the post a minute later.

But Invicta increased their lead in the 25th minute when Jones created another chance for himself but defender Martin Dunne cleared his subsequent shot off the line, only for Remy to smash the rebound into the net.

A speculative Watson ball in from the left hand side then came back off the top of the crossbar after 35 minutes.

And Remy completed his hat-trick during first half stoppage time with a spectacular scissor kick when Jones played the ball in from the right hand side after Micheal Everitt had spread the play out wide.

It looked like being more of the same after the interval as Micheal Everitt played another ball in from the right just in front of Remy within 20 seconds of the re-start.

A throw in down the right hand side put Jones through again after 52 minutes but he unselfishly squared the ball back behind Remy when he might have chosen to go for goal himself.

It was still all Invicta as goalkeeper Gindre touched a Watson free kick over the crossbar for a corner when Dunne was booked for a foul on Steve Norman on the edge of the penalty area.

Jones chipped well over three minutes later with a sign of his growing confidence after another Watson ball forward in the 58th minute and Watson shot over seven minutes later after a one-two with Jones sent him clear as Invicta opened the visitors’ defence up again.

Eben Allen shot wide from the left hand side of the penalty area after 65 minutes, but Invicta had another good chance two minutes later when captain Adam Flanagan headed over a Watson free kick.

All still seemed to be going Invicta’s way as Norman hit a spectacular volley over the crossbar in the 64th minute from a Watson free kick.

But the game was completely turned around when Walton and Hersham substitute Scott Edgar scored twice in three minutes.

Edgar headed in a Traynor cross from the right after 74 minutes and Edgar then touched the ball in at the far post when Allen’s shot from the left hand side crept past Kessell.

Invicta substitute Walid Matata shot at Gindre after 80 minutes when Watson played the ball up to Ben Sly.

But Thorne headed the ball back away from goal when presented with a chance to equalise after 83 minutes as Invicta were pegged back deeper and deeper.

Jones cut back again and shot wide across goal when Watson played the ball forward again after 85 minutes.

At the other end, Walton had penalty appeals turned down when Allen went down under challenge from Flanagan after Norman had made a good tackle but then gave the ball away.

It was an anxious finale for the home side as goalkeeper Kessell punched Louis Clark’s header away following a free kick from the left after 88 minutes.

Goalkeeper Gindre came up for a stoppage time corner as the visitors chased a dramatic late equaliser but ended up being booked for dissent when Invicta were awarded a free kick.

Invicta’s Kent Senior Cup first round tie with Ashford Town on Monday night has been postponed as the Nuts & Bolts will be hosting Waltham Forest in their FA Trophy preliminary round replay on Tuesday night.