gillingham200705

Invicta hold their own against Gills

Second half goals from Danny Byfield and substitute Carl Wilson-Denis gave  Coca-Cola League One club Gillingham a 2-0 win in Wednesday night’s pre-season friendly at the Buzzlines Stadium, writes Richard Murrill.

BYFIELD opened the scoring in the 52^nd minute when he controlled the ball well and beat goalkeeper Tony Kessell with a low shot from a narrow angle from the right hand side of the box following a ball from Matt Jarvis.

And big trialist WILSON-DENIS made it 2-0 in the 73^rd minute when Danny Jackman pulled the ball back to him from the left hand side in a well-worked move.

Byfield had earlier fired the game’s first chance wide after eight minutes when striking partner Darius Henderson headed the ball down invitingly to him.

But Invicta held their own during the first half and James Dryden called Gillingham goalkeeper Steve Banks into action with a shot across goal after 21 minutes.

Jackman fired wide for the visitors when Henderson laid the ball to him after 23 minutes and Kessell saved with his feet from Byfield two minutes later when Alan Pouton took a quick free kick following a foul by John Guest on Henderson.

For Invicta, Stuart Myall shot at Banks when right back Kevin Watson played the ball forward to Dryden on the half hour mark.

Kessell saved Jarvis’ shot from the right hand side in the 40^th minute, while at the other end Matt Bower couldn’t quite bring the ball under control when presented with a 42^nd minute close range chance.

Invicta centre half Adam Flanagan blocked from Byfield in the 44^th minute when the striker cut in and shaped up to shoot and Henderson subsequently headed wide across goal.

Byfield’s opener soon after half time put new Gillingham manager’s Neale Cooper’s side ahead, but Invicta responded as Flanagan brought a save from Banks with a header from a corner.

Kessell saved from Henderson when Wilson-Denis pulled the ball back after 64 minutes and Wilson-Denis was to increase the lead eight minutes later.

Popular former Gillingham player-manager Andy Hessenthaler made a second half appearance as a substitute and shot just wide from the edge of the penalty area after 80 minutes.

Invicta centre half Guest was chosen as man of the match by new sponsors Buzzlines.

Folkestone Invicta: Kessell (Mann 76), Watson (J. Everitt 65), Norman (Tanner 77), Flanagan (Lamb 65), Guest, M. Everitt (Rainbow 77), Myall, Bower (Lindsey 71), Dryden, Jones, Glover (Sly 77).

Gillingham:  Banks, Cooper, Rose, Pouton (Corneille 85), Hope, Johnson (Cox 70), Crofts (Flynn 45), Jarvis (Hessenthaler 71), Henderson (Roberts 76), Byfield (Wilson-Denis 55), Jackman.