Gutsy Invicta climbed two places up to seventh in the Bostik Premier Division as they came from two goals down to record their first win over Hendon (the so-called Greens but this time wearing navy) since the Kent side returned to the Premier league  as champions of Division One a couple of years ago.

Folkestone piled on the pressure in the first 45 minutes with a whole string of corners from both flanks which came to nothing as Hendon defended physically and with massive determination..

In a melee on the goal-line the grounded Joe Taylor was seriously outnumbered and out-strengthed when Invicta might easily have gone ahead midway through the first period..

In truth, this was the best game, against good quality opposition, that Invicta have been involved in this season so far.

In short, it was a proper test of where Folkestone are at – just as manager Neil Cugley expected it would be.

Hendon broke the deadlock two minutes after the break when from Matt Ball’s debateable and deflected free-kick the ball broke kindly for Niko Muir to break the deadlock on 47 minutes.

Within a couple of minutes the prolifc Muir slpped through a somewhat shell-shocked Invicta defence to make it 2-0 to the visitors with just two more minutes on the clock.

Referee Graham Ions and his assistants’’ decisions had all seemed to be going against the home side in the first period, but within two minutes of Muir’s second goal, the man in the middle was pointing to the spot for a foul on Joe Taylor and Ade Yusuff  (above right) confidently beat the goalkeeper to give Folkestone a chance at 2-1 down.

Folkestone now had the momentum in their and fully deserved to get back on terms – doing so with an excellent team goal that was powerfully strike by the excellent Josh Vincent (left) to restore parity.

It was a game they could easily have gone either way but Taylor got on the end of a superb cross by Vincent  to put Folkestone in front six minutes from time.

You rarely get a bad game that ends 3-2 either way but it’s so much better when your side ends up as winners – even moreso after being 2-0 goals behind just a few minutes into the second half.

A proper game, against a Hendon side who began the day second in the table.

Having drawn 3-3 away to Hendon last season, and losing what seemed at the time a relegation crucial game against Gary McCann’s side 2-1 last April, this was Folkestone’s first win over the outer London club since their return to the Premier Division last season.

A cracking game against good opposition with a second half performance that suggests this is a better all-round squad than last time – even without the injured Ian Draycott and unavailable Kieron McCann.

Given almost no protection by the officials, Ade Yusuff was named man of the match by match sponsors – the Folkestone Youth Section – surely with Vincent who made one goal and scored another not far behind,

 

Invicta: Roberts; Vincent, O’Mara, Everitt, Davies, Newman, Hasler, Heard, Taylor, Yusuff.(Cooper 90). Wright (Blanks 86)

Subs not used: Madden, Chalmers-Stevens