Folkestone Invicta v Dover Athletic

FOLKESTONE INVICTA will be out to achieve a feat they have never managed over the holiday period - defeating close rivals Dover in a league game.

The Westbourme Stadium will the venue for this eagerly anticipated Ryman Premier League game on Bank Holiday Monday (kick off 3pm). It should see Folkestone's biggest crowd of the season.

Invicta have won their last three home matches, scoring ten goals in the process, and how they handle the mantle of being favourites may be the key to the game's outcome.

Second-from-bottom Dover will visit Folkestone desperate for the points as they bid to dig themselves out of the relegation zone, while Invicta would love to put one over their local rivals after years in their shadow.

Neil Cugley's side are sure to be fired up for the game, with captain Scott Lindsey, Simon Glover, Mark Munday, Steve Norman and Paul Sykes all being former Dover Athletic players and local players such as James Dryden and Micheal Everitt also sure to be highly motivated for this one.

Dover, by contrast, are managed by former Slough and Hemel Hemsptead manager Steve Browne and call on players from far and wide. Only Matt Carruthers among the Dover squad has played for Invicta in the past.

This will be only the third league meeting between the two clubs, with Athletic winning 2-1 in both Dr Martens League Premier Division games during the 2002-03 season.

Former Invicta player Nicky Dent scored both Dover goals within the opening five minutes at Cheriton Road in August 2002 before Allan Tait pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after 70 minutes.

On Boxing Day 2002, Dover won 2-1 at Crabble when Lee Spiller gave them a first half lead. Martin Chandler equalised during the second half before Tommy Tyne grabbed a late winner.

Dover have also knocked Invicta out of the Dr Martens League for the past two seasons at Crabble. It was 2-0 in last season's fourth round tie thanks to second half goals from Dover-born Craig Cloke and Israel Amadi. The previous season it had been 2-1 to Dover, with Simon Glover (now of Invicta) hitting a late winner.

Invicta were victorious 4-1 at Crabble in a Kent Senior Cup semi-final during the 1999-2000 season when Nicky Dent and James Dryden both scored two goals apiece in the first half.

Cugley will be hoping this latest game will give them some more treasured memories.