Tasser Hassan tries to get away from his marker

Folkestone Invicta suffered a nightmare Saturday afternoon which dented their play-off hopes in Ryman League Division 1 South.

Just three days after a convincing 3-0 win at Maidstone took Invicta fourth, they slumped to a 5-0 defeat at lowly Walton & Hersham and saw leading-scorer Stuart King sent-off.

King was controversially sent-off after half an hour after an innocuous altercation which came after he had struck the bar with an audacious back-heel.

Half-time arrived with the hosts ahead through a 27th-minute Greg Andrews strike and Andrews went on to complete a hat-trick after the break while Jason Henry scored twice in two minutes after the interval to make it 3-0 and put the game beyond the visitors.

King will now miss crucial games against Worthing, Crawley Down and Hythe.

Worthing leapfrogged Invicta into fourth on goal-difference after a 3-0 win against Faversham - who slipped to 14th.

Ryan McBride put the Rebels ahead after four minutes and doubled the lead with a header just before the half-hour, while Paul Kennett added the third after the break.

Maidstone United slipped to sixth, outside the play-off places, after allowing a 2-0 lead to slip to a 2-2 draw at title-chasing Whitehawk.

Shaun Welford struck on 21 and 37 minutes to put the Stones on course for their first win in four games, however Sam Fisk halved the deficit on the hour for the Brighton side and former Dover man Jerahl Hughes levelled 19 minutes from time. Only two fine stops from Maidstone keeper John Whitehouse prevented United from losing the game.

Hythe Town's hopes of gate-crashing the play-offs were hit by a 2-1 home defeat to Godalming, who moved a point behind the Stones with two games in hand.

A penalty on 13 minutes from Darren Wheeler was cancelled out by Dave Cook on 53 minutes, only for Jamie McClurg to grab the winner for the visitors and leave Hythe 10th, 13 points behind Invicta and the play-offs with two games in hand.

Ramsgate came from behind to win 2-1 at Crawley Down and move within seven points of the play-off places in eighth.

The hosts took the lead through Jamie Cade just before the hour, but Joe Taylor levelled soon after and Ian Pulman grabbed the winner on 78 minutes.

Whitstable Town made it four straight wins with a 2-0 win over Walton Casuals - secured by two quickfire goals from Scott Heard midway through the first half.

Sittingbourne's struggles continued with a 2-1 home defeat to Eastbourne Town.

They fell behind against the run of play when Scott Kirkwood struck on the stroke of half-time and Matt Geard made it 2-0 soon after the break.

Bradley Spice's free-kick 17 minutes from time gave the Brickies hope, but they remain 13 points clear of relegation-threatened Whitehawk, who do have one game in hand.

Cray Wanderers returned to the Ryman League Premier Division play-off places with a fine 2-1 win at second-placed AFC Hornchurch.

Leigh Bremner fired Cray ahead 20 minutes from time, only for the hosts to equalise within a minute through Martin Tuohy.

Wands captain Joe Vines snatched a crucial winner for the visitors when he converted a cross two minutes from time to take Cray fifth, two points clear of sixth-placed Hendon and having played a game fewer.

Chatham Town are 12th in Ryman League Division 1 North after being held to a 1-1 draw by Maldon & Tiptree at Maidstone Road on Saturday.

Joe Fuller put the Chats ahead on 15 minutes but Sosthene Yao earned a point for the Essex 20 minutes from time.

Frazer Walker struck the only goal a minute into stoppage-time as Thamesmead Town ran-out 1-0 winners at Heybridge Swifts to climb to 13th.