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Folkestone Invicta stretched their impressive recent run to six wins and six clean sheets from their last seven matches as goals from strikers Paul Jones (2) and James Dryden gave Neil Cugley’s side their biggest win of the season so far at Stompond Lane on Tuesday night, writes Richard Murrill.

Invicta were in total control during the first half when they established a two-goal lead and were 3-0 up soon after half time to record a comfortable victory against a Walton & Hersham side which had been unbeaten in their previous eight Ryman Premier League matches going back to August.

Fielding an unchanged starting eleven, Invicta had the first real near miss of the game when a Stuart Myall free kick from the left was sliced past his own post by a home defender for the game’s first corner after five minutes. Centre half John Guest met Paul Lamb’s subsequent set piece at the far post but goalkeeper Nick Gindre was able to keep the header out.

Guest was to be involved in all of Invicta’s significant attacking moments during the first half and can claim assists for the opening two goals.

It was Guest who played the ball forward to set Jones free to race clear of the home defence after 23 minutes and the striker hit a clinical finish past Gindre to open the scoring with his second goal in successive games.

Goalkeeper Gindre then touched the ball over the far post for a corner when Guest met Lamb’s deep free kick from the left hand side after 31 minutes.

It was 2-0 after 37 minutes when Dryden belted the ball into the net via the crossbar from close range after Guest had met Myall’s corner from the left at the far post.

Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell finally had to make a real save after 49 minutes when he first kept out a Sam Keevill shot and then Tristan Frontin’s subsequent header.

But the visitors went down the other end and increased their lead a minute later when the ball broke to Jones and he found the corner of the net with a sweet strike from the edge of the box.

Invicta were enjoying themselves as Dryden showed great touch but couldn’t quite find the net when he played the ball across goal from the left hand side after 57 minutes when captain Scott Lindsey picked him out after Jones had done very well to bring the ball down.

Walton - who were knocked out of the FA Cup at Ramsgate at the weekend - rallied as Kessell had to get up to keep out substitute Will Jenkins’ header when Neil Lampton played the ball in from the left after 61 minutes.

The home side did have the ball in the net after 70 minutes, but Baz Savage’s ‘goal’ was ruled out by an assistant referee’s flag when he shot into the net after Frontin had struck the post following a cross from the left.

Frontin volleyed wide as Walton sought some kind of consolation after 75 minutes and Savage headed just wide following a corner from the left after 83 minutes.

Kessell then saved with his feet to deny Sean Thurgood after 89 minutes when substitute Lee Riddell played a corner in from the right.

The final corner count of 13-3 in the home side’s favour was more a reflection of their pressure at 3-0 down in the final half hour than on the overall balance of a game which went as well as Invicta could have hoped for.