Folkestone Invicta 1-0 Worthing

A 28th minute goal from Luke Howell gave Folkestone Invicta all three points as they overcame struggling Worthing at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday afternoon, writes Richard Murrill.

Playing his final home game before his loan spell with Gillingham comes to an end next weekend, 18-year-old Howell scored the only goal of the game from close range after goalkeeper Rikki Banks had saved from James Everitt when the latter cut back and shot after Paul Jones had played the ball across to him on the left hand side of the box.

It was a double celebration for the Howell family as father Luke had the winning ticket in the Supporters’ Club’s Golden Goal competition.

The versatile James Everitt had been playing alongside Jones in attack in the absence of the suspended Damian Abel on an afternoon when elder brother Micheal Everitt was making his 200th starting appearance for the club.

After a quiet opening period to the game, Invicta threatened after 24 minutes when Jones was put through only to go down when goalkeeper Banks came out. Any suggestions of a penalty were soon dismissed by the reaction of the players and their lack of appeals of protests.

Howell’s second goal for the club soon put Invicta ahead and Jones, himself making his 50th starting appearance for the club, was close a minute later when he hit a low shot just wide from the edge of the penalty area.

The hard-working Micheal Everitt toe-poked the ball wide in the 33rd minute after a one-two with Jones in a move down the left hand side also involving Steve Norman and James Corbett.

A Kevin Watson ball in from the right was then cleared by Leo Day six minutes later as Invicta remained on top.

Young centre half Liam Friend also got forward to let fly from 25 yards after 43 minutes but shot just over the crossbar.

Worthing had not had a noteworthy attempt on goal during the first half, but came out stronger at the start of the second half as Jamie Brotherton put in a ball from the right just in front of James Fraser in the middle after 50 minutes.

Ben Andrews then shot over on the turn from the edge of the penalty area five minutes later when the ball bounced in the Invicta box.

For all their dominance, Invicta did not win their first corner of the game until the hour mark when a Corbett header from Norman’s ball in from the right was cleared off the line by Joe Keehan.

Watson then whipped in another dangerous ball from the right two minutes later just in front of the stretching Micheal Everitt at the far post.

Corbett then hit a low shot at goalkeeper Banks when Howell touched the ball back to him after 62 minutes.

At the other end, Watson kept his cool to head off the line after 71 minutes when Andrews curled a goal bound ball across from the right hand side.

James Everitt blasted wide from the edge of the penalty area for Invicta after 84 minutes, while Worthing captain Jamie Lawrence headed at Invicta goalkeeper Tony Kessell when Mark Knee played the ball in from the left three minutes later.

There was a scare for Invicta deep into stoppage time when Day’s ball in from the right led to a melee in the home goal mouth.

Invicta reserve teamer Liam Dickson was called up to the first team substitutes’ bench for the first time.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA: Kessell, Watson, Norman, Flanagan, Friend, Howell, M. Everitt, Corbett, Jones, Saunders, J. Everitt. Subs: Rainbow, Guiver, Dickson, Sly, Hurley.

WORTHING: Banks, Keehan, Knee, Lawrence, Andrews, Lutwyche, Brotherton (Akehurst 79), Day, Fraser, Collins, Alexander. Subs: Davis, Axten, Rogers.

Attendance: 274