Redbridge 0 Folkestone Invicta 2

Steve Norman’s first two league goals for Folkestone Invicta gave Neil Cugley’s side a comfortable 2-0 victory away to bottom-of-the-table Redbridge on Saturday afternoon, writes Richard Murrill.

The win makes it nine points out of nine for Invicta in their last three league matches against the Ryman Premier’s bottom three to take the Folkestone side into the top half of the table for the first time this season.

27-year-old Norman has been one of Invicta’s most consistent performers since joining the club in November 2004 from Chelmsford City, where he had been joint top goalscorer for the Essex club during the 2003-04 season when he played in a more advanced role.

The versatile Norman has made the most appearances for Invicta of any player this season and had been pushed up into midfield for the club’s midweek Kent Senior Cup defeat at Margate. The visitor’s almost total control of this game meant that he was again able to get forward and add to his solitary FA. Trophy strike at Harlow earlier this season. A resident of Essex, he clearly feels at home in the county!

Norman played at left back in the absence of the injured Paul Lamb (ribs), with Kevin Watson joining Adam Flanagan and John Guest at the heart of the defence, with Mark Corneille making his debut at right back on loan from Gillingham.

Skilful midfielder Stuart Myall came back into the starting line up after a five-match absence, with James Everitt and James Fraser on the substitutes’ bench and Mark Saunders out through suspension.

Norman opened the scoring in the 28^th minute when he fired home a great strike from 25 yards across goal and into the far corner of the net following an exchange of passes on the left hand side.

And Norman struck again with a far post header in the 35^th minute when Walid Matata showed great skill to go past both Andrew Julius and Carl Fannon down the right hand side and send over a telling cross.

That effectively made it game over against a struggling Redbridge side who have won just two league games so far during what has proved to be a difficult campaign.

The Oakside Stadium at Barkingside must be amongst the least salubrious of grounds at this level and the bobbly pitch was always likely to have it affect on this game.

Watson hit a deep free kick from the left hand side just wide of the far post following a foul on Myall after just six minutes and Redbridge’s Clydie Roberts became an early booking for encroachment at a free kick after 11 minutes.

Invicta striker Chris Wright volleyed against the post after 19 minutes when captain Flanagan nodded the ball on.

But Redbridge should have gone ahead after 24 minutes when striker Leon Antoine was guilty of an almost unbelievable miss when he somehow put the ball over the crossbar when presented with an open goal at the far post after Ian Luck had done well to set up the chance and play the ball across goal from the right hand side.

Three minutes later Invicta opened the scoring and there was to be no way back for the home side.

Martin Chandler shot over from 30 yards a minute after Norman’s second goal as Invicta’s confidence rose.

Redbridge’s Billy Sendall was booked for kicking the ball at Wright as he lay on the ground after being fouled by Redbridge captain Fannon in the 38^th minute. And Invicta soon had the ball in the net again through Matata at the far post from Myall’s right wing cross, but the ‘goal’ was ruled out by an assistant referee’s flag for offside.

It was one-way traffic after the interval as Invicta continued to dominate without adding to the scoreline as they played into the unseasonal afternoon sun.

Chandler fired over from the edge of the box after 50 minutes and Matata shot at goalkeeper Michael Wakefield as he chased an unlikely hat-trick six minutes later.

Wakefield came out to save on the hour when Wright flicked the ball on to Matata in a move started by Micheal Everitt.

John Guest headed just wide from Watson’s left wing cross after 72 minutes and Wakefield saved from Wright five minutes later when the striker went pats substitute Jamie Langton following Chandler’s ball forward.

Micheal Everitt volleyed over when he tee-d himself up on the edge of the penalty area after 85 minutes.

Redbridge won their only corner pf the game as late as the 90^th minute as Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell kept a third consecutive league clean sheet.

REDBRIDGE: Wakefield, Allison (Nyman 55), Sendall, Brotherton (Agyemeng 45), Julius (Langton 70), Fannon, Sherritt, Roberts, Antoine, Luck, Lockwood.  Subs: Holloway, Aneke.

Attendance: 93