Sevenoaks 4 Folkestone Invicta 4

by Richard Murrill

Folkestone Invicta lived to fight another day after an extraordinary FA Cup Preliminary Round tie at Sevenoaks Town which saw the visitors trail 2-0 and 3-2 before conceding a stoppage time equaliser when 4-3 up.

An incident-packed second half saw seven goals, including five in an incredible 11-minute spell during which Neil Cugley’s side were in deep trouble before appearing to have turned the game around.

When James Dryden put Invicta ahead for the first time in the 83rd minute, the tie seemed to have swung the Ryman League club’s way.

But there was to be a final twist deep into stoppage time when Sevenoaks substitute Dwayne Gibbons’ free kick from the edge of the penalty area went in off Charlie Mitten’s head after the goalkeeper had touched the ball onto the crossbar and it bounced back down.

Mitten had been at fault for Sevenoaks’ opening goal in the 16th minute. There appeared to be no danger when Mitten received a back pass wide on the left hand side but his attempted clearance hit striker Marcus Elliott who took full advantage by going round the goalkeeper and putting the ball into an empty net.

That lifted the Kent League side and raised the possibility of an upset, but nobody could have predicted what was to follow during the second half on a sunny afternoon at Greatness Park.

The alarm bells were well and truly ringing for Invicta in the 61st minute when captain Andy Constable made it 2-0 with a well-struck finish after Duwayne Morris had capitalised on a mistake by centre half Matt Bourne.

And two goals in two minutes saw Invicta get back on level terms.

It was Jackson who brought the Folkestone side back into the game in the 64th minute when he slotted the ball into the net after Williams had done well to save from Byron Walker.

James Everitt then made it 2-2 when he shot into the far corner of the net from the right hand side of the penalty area after a Mitten free kick reached him.

Kent League side Sevenoaks were not finished as they regained their lead in the 69th minute courtesy of a great strike from Steve Evans who found the bottom corner of the net when a free kick fell to him.

The visitors did not have to wait long to make it 3-3 as Jackson struck again in the 71st minute as Dryden took a knock as the ball broke.

Pressure told as Dryden put Invicta ahead when he fired a low shot into the net after a one-two with Friend and an initial shot from the defender. It was club record goalscorer Dryden’s third goal in three consecutive matches.

But substitute Gibbons’ late, late free kick was to save the day for Sevenoaks and leave both clubs contemplating a replay as everybody caught their breath.