Veteran goalkeeper Scott Chalmers-Stevens was the Invicta hero, saving three penalties in the shoot-out after this first round Kent Senior Cup tie ended all square at a fairly wet Reachfields on Tuesday.

The experienced custodian was one of manager Neil Cugley’s seven changes in the starting line-up from the side that began Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Greenwich Borough.

But the former Tonbridge and Margate player had no chance at all when on-loan Margate youngster Sid Sollis fired an unstoppable shot high into the net from the edge of the 18-yard box giving Bostik Southern Division Hythe Town the lead inside two minutes of the start.

Folkestone did everything but score  in the first 45 minutes while Hythe – full of confidence after their 5-1 romp against struggling Guernsey on Saturday – had a couple of chances of doubling their lead.

The Premier Division visitors pilled on the pressure in the final 25 minutes and Hythe were showing signs of cracking when their former star, Ronnie Dolan – playing his first game for Invicta since an injury eight months ago – was chopped down twice inside 30 seconds and Invicta won a string of corners and free-kicks in and around the box.

Eventually it was Joe Taylor –  another starting his first game of the season following injury – shrugged off two defenders to beat keeper Will Godmon and put Folkestone level 11 minutes from the end of normal time.

Chalmers-Stevens  pulled off one fine save in the final moments when Hythe also went close with an effort that went just inches over the bar.

With the game going to a shoot-out after 90 minutes both sides put their first three spot-kicks away before Invicta’s excellent defender Callum Davies put his penalty over the bar but Chalmers-Stevens saved from in-form Hythe striker Kenny Pogue to send the shoot-out into sudden death mode.

Each keeper saved the first of those efforts and Chalmers-Stevens saved again leaving Jordan Wright to smash his kick past Godmon to take Folkestone Into the second round.

For the visitors the game was marred by what appeared to be hamstring injuries to both top scorer Ade Yusuff and midfielder Kwabena Osie.

Folkestone’s successful penalty scorers were Sam Hasler,  Joe Taylor, Kieron McCann, Scott Heard and Jordan Wright.

Invicta: Chalmers-Stevens; Kisitu, O’Mara (McCann), Davies, Blanks, Dolan (Hasler), Wright, Osei (Everitt), Taylor, Yusuff.

Subs not used: Madden, Roberts

Referee: Isaac  Searle