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Folkestone enjoy home comforts

Folkestone Invicta made it six successive home wins in all competitions when Simon Glover’s ninth minute header gave Neil Cugley’s side all three points against high-flying Billericay Town at the Westbourne Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Essex side came to Folkestone second in the table, but the only goal of the game came when GLOVER headed in at the far post when Micheal Everitt’s corner from the left was flicked on.

That was the first corner of the game and the only one which Invicta won during the first half and it proved to be decisive.

Billericay on the other hand forced an incredible 17 corners during the first half alone when the wind was in their favour and 20 throughout the match without replying to Glover’s effort.

Justin Edinburgh’s side have the best defensive record in the Ryman Premier League so far this season, but Invicta’s resolute defence and goalkeeper Tony Kessell can again take plaudits as they weathered the first half storm.

Invicta gave a full league debut to 17-year-old James Everitt at right back and had the game’s first chance when Paul Lamb found James Dryden on the left hand side in the fifth minute and the subsequent cross flew just in front of Paul Sykes in the middle.

And that was soon followed by Glover’s goal.

Defender Steve Norman made a vital interception to deny Billericay striker Nathan Elder in the box as Billericay attacked after 17 minutes.

The visitors forced corner after corner as James Everitt cleared from close to the Invicta line after 19 minutes and goalkeeper Kessell touched the ball over via the crossbar.

Captain Jamie Dorner’s shot from outside the penalty area then deflected for yet another corner in the 30^th minute.

Dormer then headed over in the middle after 37 minutes when right back Dave McSweeney’s cross was nodded on.

James Everitt then cleared again as Billericay won yet more consecutive corners after 39 minutes.

Billericay were close in the 47^th minute when Dormer found Neil Cousins on the left and his cross flew just in front of striker Elder in the middle in what was almost a replica of Invicta’s early chance from a similar position in the first half.

But the home side began to create more chances of their own as Dryden had a couple of attempts towards the hour mark and defender Pat Sappleton recovered to stop Sykes as he was about to let fly after 62 minutes when John Guest’s ball forward put the Invicta striker in behind the defender.

Sappleton got forward at the other end to go desperately close after 69 minutes from a Kerian Gallagher free kick when James Everitt was penalised.

But Invicta could have struck again when the ball ran away from Dryden after 71 minutes when Micheal Everitt put him through after substitute Mark Munday found Lamb on the left hand side.

And experienced Billericay centre half Robin Trott made a saving last ditch tackle to deny James Everitt when the debutant found himself put through the middle after 77 minutes.

It was Billericay's first defeat in eight league games and Invicta are now ninth in the Ryman Premier League table.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, J. Everitt, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, M. Everitt, Glover (Munday 54), Dryden, Sykes (Neilson 89), Norman. Unused subs: Walker, Dyson, Morrin.

BILLERICAY TOWN: Gothard, McSweeney, Kerrigan, Sappleton, Trott, Dormer, Game, Hunter, Elder, Cousins, Gallagher.  Unused subs: Stone, Poole, Simmons, Limbrick, Wayman.

Attendance: 423.