Hendon 2 Folkestone Invicta 1

FOLKESTONE Invicta’s relegation fears increased on Saturday when they went down 2-1 away to Hendon despite leading 1-0 at half-time thanks to a goal from Simon Glover and hitting the crossbar twice at Claremont Road.

Neil Cugley’s side have now taken just two points out of their last possible 18 and only Harrow Borough’s 2-0 defeat at Braintree keeps Invicta out of the bottom four on goal difference.

Invicta have the worst away record in the Ryman Premier League so far this season with just one win at Leyton in August. And, as in their last away day nightmare at Tonbridge, the Folkestone side again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

This time, two goals in three minutes within the opening eight minutes of the second half saw Hendon turn the game around.

Invicta were left to rue a gilt-edged chance right on half time when goalscorer Glover struck the crossbar with the goal at his mercy and when a second goal may well have proved to be decisive.

Centre half Adam Flanagan then headed against the crossbar from a Paul Lamb free kick on the hour when the visitors were stunned to find themselves behind.

To compound Invicta’s misery, 17-year-old right back James Everitt was sent off in the 89th minute for a second yellow card and like fellow defenders Lamb, Flanagan and Will Dunlop will be suspended for the trip to Worthing on March 12th.

The younger Everitt brother had been booked as much for his reaction as for a 57th minute foul on James Parker and was then perhaps harshly dismissed for a second foul on the Hendon left back in the closing moments.

Invicta went to north-west London desperate for three points and kept the same starting line up which had lost on penalties in the Bryco Cup at Heybridge Swifts in midweek, with teenage centre half Dunlop making his first league start and captain Scott Lindsey on the bench.

Invicta had all the first half chances as James Dryden was denied by home goalkeeper Dave King in the 15th minute and Paul Sykes headed wide when James Everitt nodded the ball on in the 23rd minute.

Dryden shot wide from the right hand side of the box in the 34th minute and Glover opened the scoring a minute later when he converted Sykes’ left wing cross in the middle when Flanagan’s ball forward left Hendon short of numbers at the back.

A Lamb shot was touched over for a corner by King after 38 minutes as Invicta threatened again and Sykes headed over a deep Lamb cross from the right a minute later.

And it could easily have been 2-0 in the 45th minute when Glover hit a rebound against the crossbar. That miss became even more significant as Hendon struck twice at the start of the second half.

John Frendo equalised in the 50th minute when he shrugged off Dunlop and his shot from the left hand side of the box crept past Tony Kessell and inside the far post.

It got worse for Invicta after 52 minutes when a deep James Burgess ball in from the right was met by Rene Street, with goalkeeper Kessell keeping that header out with one hand only for 36-year-old Steve McGrath to head in what turned out to be the winner on his Hendon debut.

Invicta were rocked and Street was close again a minute later following a corner from the right.

Kessell made a good save to deny Dave Hunt after 68 minutes when striker Eugene Ofori laid the ball back to the edge of the box.

Invicta signalled their intent by replacing defender Dunlop with striker Joe Neilson after 74 minutes. But Hendon defended tenaciously to keep their lead and make it 10 points out of 12 for new manager Gary McCann to ease their own relegation worries.

Ofori then shot wide after 80 minutes when he shrugged off James Everitt as the home side broke.

As well as Everitt’s subsequent dismissal, there were second half bookings for Hendon’s Burgess and Frendo and for Invicta’s Lamb.

Folkestone Invicta Kessell, J. Everitt, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Dunlop (Neilson 74), M. Everitt, Munday (Lindsey 78), Dryden, Sykes, Glover. Subs Not Used: Walker, Norman, Morrin.