Margate 1 Folkestone Invicta 1

AN 88th minute equaliser from recent signing Walid Matata saved the day for Folkestone at Hartsdown Park on Boxing Day after substitute Ian Hilaire had opened the scoring for the home side.

The East Kent derby thus had a dramatic finale as Matata opened his account for the club to give Invicta a share of the spoils after joining the club as part of the deal which took record goalscorer James Dryden to Dover Athletic.

Matata made it 1-1 when he smashed the ball into the roof of the net at the far post after striking partner Paul Jones had played the ball across from the right hand side.

Hilaire had broken the deadlock when he slotted the ball past goalkeeper Tony Kessell when teenage full back Osman Sesay played him through and Chris Kinnear’s men were ahead despite the efforts of an Invicta defender to clear the ball off the line.

Both clubs have lost players in recent weeks and will be hoping to survive in the Ryman Premier League during the second half of the season as they look to rebuild for 2006-07.

There were bookings for Margate’s Standen and John Keister and for Invicta’s

Lamb, Martin Chandler Myall.

MARGATE: Mitten, Sesay, Allman, Edwards, Donovan, Deen, Keister, Brayley, Taylor (Hilaire 71 mins), Amoako, Standen (McGowan 63 mins). Unused subs: Egan, Okikiolu, Oatres.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Watson, Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, J. Everitt (Neilson 86 mins), Chandler (M. Everitt 73 mins), Myall, Matata, Jones, Norman. Unused subs: Sly, Ransley, Mann.

Attendance: 902.