Folkestone Invicta 2 Leyton 1

JAMES DRYDEN was the hero with two goals in the final 20 minutes to give Folkestone Invicta a vital three points on Good Friday afternoon to ease their relegation worries.

The two goals also saw Dryden equal Paul Chambers’ all-time scoring record of 88 goals fro Invicta since the club gained senior status in 1991.

Dryden had previously overtaken Chambers’ senior appearance record for the club earlier in the season and this was to be another landmark day for the 25-year-old local striker.

It was a case of cometh the hour for Dryden and Invicta as the home side trailed 1-0 in a game they desperately needed to win after a run of eight league games without a victory had left them perilously close to the drop zone.

There was an element of fortune about Dryden’s first goal as his shot took a wicked deflection off defender Des Thomas before looping over goalkeeper David Morgan and into the net in he 72nd minute.

But Dryden’s winner in the 83rd minute was something special as he received the ball on the right hand side and unleashed an explosive shot which left substitute goalkeeper Jason White with no chance as it flew into the far corner of the net.

Leyton had opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when a linesman signalled that the ball had crossed the line when Leli Bajada was there to follow up after Tony Kessell had made a great save from Thomas following the visitors’ first corner of the game.

The dangerous Bajada had already struck the post twice before then as he caused the Invicta defence plenty of problems during the first half.

Bajada first hit the upright from the left hand side after six minutes when Steve Norman then cleared off the line from Iain Bash’s follow up.

A mix up in the Invicta defence then presented Bajada with another chance after 18 minutes when the striker went round goalkeeper Kessell but could only roll the ball against the post from an acute angle.

Leyton’s goal increased the pressure on Invicta and Simon Glover did not make the most of his chance after 26 minutes when he shot at Morgan after Dryden sent him away down the right hand side.

Invicta had the ball in the net after 34 minutes but centre half John Guest’s header was ruled out for climbing following a Paul Lamb corner from the right.

Leyton went close again during first half stoppage time when a free kick from the left came back out to James Hawes whose shot brought another good save from Kessell on the goalkeeper’s 100th appearance for Invicta.

Invicta brought on a third striker in substitute Joe Neilson at half time and the teenager played a part in the equaliser as he ran at the Leyton defence as Invicta broke before playing the ball out to Dryden on the left hand side.

Young Leyton goalkeeper Morgan was carried off after 75 minutes when he fell awkwardly after colliding with Glover and looked to be in some pain.

The visitors had further chances in between Invicta’s two goals as Adam Flanagan blocked substitute Danny Costello’s shot in the penalty area after 79 minutes and Kessell kept out centre half Ben Abbey’s header at the far post following a corner a minute later.

There was another scare for Invicta in the 90th minute when Costello was put through down the right hand side but Kessell came out to save again with his feet.

The home side had to survive plenty of stoppage time caused by Morgan’s injury before celebrating their first league ‘double’ in the Ryman Premier League.

Invicta had welcomed back defender Kevin Watson after more than three months out with injury and gave a home debut to recent signing Stuart Myall.

Folkestone: Kessell, Watson (J. Everitt 72), Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey, M. Everitt, Glover, Dryden, Myall (Munday 81), Norman (Neilson 45). Subs Not Used: Sykes, Mann.