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Dryden scores 50th goal for Invicta
Folkestone Invicta 5-1 Chatham Town
Tuesday 21 October 2003
Dr Martens League Eastern Division
by Richard Murrill

Folkestone Invicta followed up their four goal win at Corby Town on Saturday with a comprehensive 5-1 home victory over fellow Kent side Chatham Town on Tuesday night.

23-year-old striker James Dryden led the way with his first Dr Martens League hat-trick as he took his career total to 50 goals for Invicta.

Mark Munday added his third goal in three consecutive games, 21-year-old centre half John Guest completed the scoring with his first goal of the season and fellow 21-year-old John Ayling came on to complete record of 100 appearances as a substitute for the club.

This was always look to be an uphill struggle for a Chatham side one place of the bottom and having parted company with manager Peter Coupland at the end of the previous week.

Invicta had the first real chance when goalkeeper Gavin Hopper saved a deflected Drew Watkins shot in the eighth minute.

But there was an early scare for the home side at the other end after 13 minutes when Martin Chandler had to head off the line at the far post when a Chatham head met the first corner of the match on the right hand side.

Watkins was to enjoy a good game in the Invicta midfield and it was from his run and cross on the left that DRYDEN headed Invicta into the lead after 16 minutes.

DRYDEN struck again to make it 2-0 after 22 minutes when he was there to follow up after Micheal Everitt had been denied by goalkeeper Hopper when he broke through the middle following more good play from Watkins.

Chandler was also looking inventive for the home side and Hopper got down to save the midfielder's low shot from the edge of the box following a crisp one-two with Dryden after 27 minutes.

It was 3-0 after 29 minutes when MUNDAY was there to convert after Hopper had palmed a Guest shot into the air.

There was no way back for Chatham and Garry Tilley couldn't beat Tony Kessell when he received the ball on the left hand side and cut inside.

Invicta put the visitors under more pressure at the start of the second half as Hopper saved when an Allan Tait shot was deflected after 48 minutes following another great crossfield ball from Watkins.

Within a minute Dryden had volleyed over in the middle when Tait played the ball across from the right hand side and Hopper then got down to touch a James Millar shot away after 49 minutes.

DRYDEN duly completed his hat-trick after 52 minutes when he tucked away a Chandler through ball at the end of a flowing Invicta move which also involved Millar down the left hand side.

GUEST then headed in a Watkins free kick from the right to put Invicta 5-0 up after 55 minutes.

But that was to be an end to the scoring for Invicta and, remarkably, they had to wait until the 85th minute to force their only corner of the game when Hopper saved from substitute Darren Winfield after play had been spread to the left hand side.

Chatham were to get at least some form of consolation when Tom BINKS pulled a goal back with a low shot from outside the penalty area in a move also involving substitute Adam Douglas.

Invicta's biggest win of the season came without a goal from leading marksman Tait, who lobbed wide during injury time when Chatham goalkeeper Hopper mis-cued a clearance straight to the striker.

There were bookings for Invicta's Millar (foul after 41 minutes) and for Chatham's Steve Best (foul on Watkins after 59 minutes), Nick Berkhauer (dissent after 69 minutes) and substitute Richard Radbourne (foul after 90 minutes).

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Everitt (Ayling 74 mins), Lindsey, Larkin, Guest, Watkins, Chandler (Winfield 63 mins), Munday, Dryden (Blackman 79 mins), Tait, Millar. Unused subs: Dyson, Egan.

CHATHAM TOWN: Hopper, Binks, Robinson (Cooke 76 mins), Berkhauer, Boyle, Best, Collin, Spriggs, Rutter (Douglas 45 mins), Billeness, Tilley (Radbourne 60 mins). Unused sub: Forster.

Attendance: 313.