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Dryden one away from century of goals

Folkestone Invicta were victorious for the first time this season as they overcame Egham Town 3-1 in Saturday’s F. A. Cup First Qualifying Round tie at the Buzzlines Stadium but were made to work hard against their Ryman League Division Two opponents, writes Richard Murrill.

Goals from centre half John Guest and substitute Simon Glover gave Invicta a 2-0 first half lead, but Ashley Martin pulled a goal back for the visitors with a 63^rd minute penalty before James Dryden made the game safe in the 88^th minute.

Invicta kept faith with the same starting line up which had been beaten by Worthing on Monday night and would have gone into the game looking to make a strong start having conceded an early goal in all three previous home matches this season.

But Egham had other ideas as they won a couple of early corners and Guest had to get across to deny Levi Coleman when Mike Crowson played the ball into the box after just three minutes.

Guest then had to play the ball out for a corner when Martin played the ball across from the right hand side and a powerful Marc Simms header went over the Invicta crossbar from Paul Bennett’s subsequent corner from the right.

At the other end, Micheal Everitt shot over from the edge of the penalty area when Paul Jones sent Dryden away down the left hand side.

A shot from captain David Graves was cleared when Bennett sent over another corner from the right hand side for Egham after 15 minutes.

But Invicta were to open the scoring when they won their own first corners of the game. Egham goalkeeper Elliott Hind touched over an acrobatic Dryden shot following a throw in from the right and Hind then touched over Dryden’s header from Kevin Watson’s subsequent ball in.

The goal came when Guest met Watson’s 18^th minute corner from the right hand side at the far post and the defender’s header went in off Egham’s Mo Shuga’a.

But the visitors responded as Tony Kessell made a great save with his feet to deny Orlando Hollingsworth after 21 minutes following a free kick from the left after Guest had fouled Coleman.

Invicta lost striker Paul Jones when he pulled up with a pulled hamstring and was replaced by Glover after 24 minutes.

Egham continued to create chances and Simms headed away from goal after 27 minutes following a corner from the left.

But Invicta had chances of their own as Dryden headed across goal when Myall played the ball across from the right after 28 minutes. And Egham goalkeeper Hind did well to get down and keep out a fierce low Dryden free kick when Graves was booked for pulling Glover’s shirt on the edge of the penalty area on the half hour mark.

It was 2-0 after 35 minutes when Glover headed in from close range after centre half Adam Flanagan had flicked on a Myall throw from the left.

There were chances at both ends after 38 minutes as Martin let fly for Egham from the edge of the box but Kessell saved comfortably and Glover shot over from 20 yards.

Egham were close again in the 44^th minute when Paul Lamb blocked from Coleman close to goal and Simms’ close range far post shot was kept out by team mate Coleman from the subsequent corner.

Coleman had another chance when he shot wide during first half stoppage time.

Invicta started the second half strongly as Dryden’s well-struck 47^th minute shot from the edge of the penalty area was pushed over for a corner by Hind.

For Egham, Graves shot into the side netting from Bennett’s free kick after 57 minutes.

A Myall free kick had Hind in trouble on the hour when the goalkeeper scrambled to push the ball away for a corner and Flanagan headed over Steve Norman’s subsequent ball in from the right.

Egham pulled a goal back when Martin sent his penalty high into the net after a handball decision against substitute James Everitt from Bennett’s corner on the left. Guest was booked for his subsequent protests.

Simms then attempted to lob Kessell from the right hand side after 67 minutes when the Invicta goalkeeper found himself in no-man’s-land but James Everitt was there to clear.

A minute later, Flanagan was close with a header for Invicta which brought another good save and corner from Hind following a Myall free kick.

Egham still had hopes of forcing a replay as Graves headed at Kessell when substitute Marriott Lusengo played the ball in from the left after 75 minutes.

And as the chances continued, Flanagan was close with another header from a Myall corner after 77 minutes and Hind kept out a Dryden chip two minutes later when Glover put him through after a move involving James Everitt and Flanagan.

Dryden was to make no mistake after 88 minutes when he slid a low shot past Hind after Glover had done well to thread him through as Invicta kept the ball on the ground to restore their two-goal lead.

It brought record goalscorer Dryden’s Invicta tally to 99 goals. Another milestone awaits.

Invicta’s Myall was booked for kicking the ball away after 70 minutes.

Folkestone Invicta: Kessell, Watson (J. Everitt 49), Lamb, Flanagan, Guest, Lindsey (Neilson 63), M Everitt, Myall, Dryden, Jones (Glover 24), Norman.  Subs: Chandler, Mann. 

Egham Town: Hind, Smillie (Lusengo 42), Shuga’a, Graves, Fox (Mosen 79), Bennett, Simms, Hollingsworth, Coleman, Martin, Crowson (Roye 64).  Sub: Palmer. 

Attendance: 212.