Folkestone Invicta 3 Salisbury 1

FOLKESTONE Invicta claimed a sweet revenge for their opening day of the season defeat at Salisbury to maintain a tidy six game unbeaten run in the Ryman League Premier Division.

They clinched an excellent end-to-end contest thanks to well-taken goals from Mark Munday, defender Adam Flanagan and top scorer Jim Dryden.

Both sides created a succession of chances with some fine open play but it was the sharpness in front of goal that turned the game Invicta's way to lead 2-0 at half-time.

And they confirmed BBC Sport's half-time prediction of 3-1 with another fine header from Dryden after Salisbury had pulled one back in a bright start to the second period.

Both teams moved the ball about well and made early chances but two goals in as many minutes late in the first half looked to have swung the game Invicta's way decisively.

Dryden was always a threat pulling the visitors defence all over the pitch and forcing a tremendous one on one save from keeper Kevin Sawyer after being put through by Mike Everitt.

However, they had a real scare minutes later when referee Andy Legg awarded a free kick six yards out when keeper Tony Kessell was ruled to have handled a back pass. To their relief Craig Davis crashed the shot against the crossbar.

Salisbury also went close when Kessell could only half punch clear a corner minutes later and it took a goalline clearance from a Wayne Turk shot to prerserve the 0-0 scoreline.

However, Invicta made the breakthough on 37 minutes after a Munday header clipped a post and was not cleared with player of the month Andrew Burke whipping the ball back across for Munday to find the target this time.

Two minutes later Salisbury's shock turned to horror as Invicta went 2-0 up from another corner. Sawyer made a brilliant stop from a Munday effort only for Paul Sykes to pull the back back across goal for Flanagan to claim his second goal of the season.

And on the stroke of half-time Dryden nearly got the goal he deserved when Sawyer made another fine stop from a good move although Sailsbury nearly struck back within seconds as this time Kessell saved well from Davis.

Salisbury, 1-0 winners on the first day of the season, started the second half brightly and Invicta looked to have weathered the storm when on 60 minutes a speculative long range drive by Matt Tubbs came back off the far post for Adam Wallace to drive home from close range.

That was the wake up call for Invicta and livened up by a couple of substitutions, they came back strongly to stall the Salisbury hopes of rescuing the game.

Paul Lamb replaced Munday and Simon Glover came on for Burke as manager Neil Cugley shook up his side. It paid dividends with Sykes firing just over and the dangerous Dryden lashing one just wide on the turn. Sykes also nearly capitalised on a defensive mistake that saw him run clean through to be denied at the near post by Sawyer.

Invicta wrapped it up 10 minutes from time when Flanagan again popped up in the box to put across a telling header that was powerfully nodded home by Dryden to take his tally to 13 this season. It was his final touch of the ball replaced immediately by Joe Neilson.

Only an alert save by Sawyer at the feet of Glover prevented a fourth which would have been hard justice on a Salisbury side who contributed greatly to an entertaining clash but their frustration told at the end with a couple of needless bookings.

Folkestone Invicta: Kessell; Watson, Norman, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, Everitt, Munday (Lamb 62), Dryden (Neilson 80), Sykes, Burke (Glover 71). Subs Not Used: Coleman, Morrin.

*Manager Neil Cugley told KM-fm spirit is high within the camp at the moment...