Tonbridge Angels 3 Folkestone Invicta 2

FOLKESTONE Invicta were thrown right into the relegation dogfight when they conceded two goals in the last five minutes to throw away a winning position away to third-from-bottom Tonbridge Angels at the Longmead Stadium in Tuesday night’s Kent derby.

Having conceded a last minute goal to lose to league leaders Yeading on Saturday, it was Angels' turn to stage a late show and boost their chances of survival.

Invicta had twice taken the lead through Adam Flanagan and James Dryden, but have still won just once on their travels in the Ryman Premier League so far this season as the late twists in the tale completely turned the game on its head.

First defender John Farley equalised for Tonbridge to make it 2-2 after 85 minutes and then recent signing Richard Brady grabbed all three points with a dramatic winner in the 88th minute.

It was a devastating blow to Invicta and a huge relief to the home side for whom this was a ‘must win’ game in their bid for survival.

Unlikely hero Farley had made one loan appearance for Invicta during the 2000-01 season and set up the grandstand finish when he headed in after player-manager Tony Dolby’s free kick was headed on.

And Dolby was also involved in his side’s winner two minutes later when he ran forward and played the ball to substitute Jay May who touched the ball on for Brady to dink the ball into the net and complete a remarkable turnaround. Invicta defender Steve Norman was booked as Invicta protested in vain for a foul on substitute Luke Coleman.

The visitors had gone for an attacking line up as teenager Joe Neilson joined Paul Sykes and Dryden in a three-pronged attack, with Simon Glover given licence to run at the home defence from midfield.

And Invicta were in charge for most of the first half and could have opened the scoring as early as the third minute when Dryden was played in down the right hand side but his shot was saved by home goalkeeper Jamie Turner.

Centre half Flanagan opened the scoring after 14 minutes when he was there at the far post to convert Paul Lamb’s corner from the right hand side close to the line. The goal came following a succession of early Invicta corners, although the decisive one was disputed by the home side.

Tonbridge were frustrated and Dolby was booked for dissent after 31 minutes and George Lay for a challenge on goalkeeper Tony Kessell after 42 minutes.

Dolby shot just wide from the edge of the box following John Beales’ long throw from the right after 36 minutes and Invicta goalscorer Flanagan was booked for a foul a minute before the break.

Invicta had enjoyed the ascendancy in the first half but Tonbridge equalised in stoppage time when Kessell failed to hold a corner and Farley thumped the ball home.

But Invicta regained the lead five minutes after the restart when Sykes picked out Dryden on the right of the penalty area with a good ball and the top goalscorer found the net with a low shot across goal.

At the other end, Kessell showed his worth with an acrobatic one-handed save to keep out Craig Roser’s 25-yard shot after 51 minutes.

Roser fired wide from the left hand side of the box after 55 minutes following a move involving Lay and Leroy Huggins and Kessell made another excellent save to keep out Beales’ hooked shot a minute later.

Beales was then involved at the other end just after the hour mark when he blocked a Dryden shot after Glover had played the ball down the left hand side of the box.

A Nick Barnes ball came in from the left hand side and flew just in front of striker Brady in the middle after 74 minutes and Brady shot wide on the turn three minutes later.

It did not look like being Tonbridge’s night, but that was all about to change during the dramatic closing minutes. Quite what effect this has on both clubs’ prospects of avoiding the drop remains to be seen.