Invicta up to third with victory

Folkestone Invicta leapt over Hornchurch and Enfield Town with victory over relegation-threatened East Thurrock United on the Kent coast. Neil Cugley’s men made it three wins in a row- this the first of those not to be won by a single goal- despite a scare in the second half, eventually emerging from a soggy encounter with three goals and three points.

The opener came just before the break, and it went to Ade Yusuff, the striker cutting infield and firing home left footed. The Rocks refused to roll over, and Johnny Ashman, who scored their late winner over Carshalton Athletic on Saturday, got his eighth United goal to equalise just before the hour. That spurred Invicta to greater heights, and seven minutes later Alfie Paxman restored their lead from the spot, before Matt Newman made sure with the third, eleven minutes from time. That result sees the hosts go two points behind second place Bishop’s Stortford with a game in hand, but ten points behind leaders Worthing, both with eleven games left, whilst the Rocks look upwards towards a seven point gap from their position second bottom of the table.

Hornchurch started the night just ahead of Invicta, but ended it a point behind them after a late Carshalton Athletic equaliser ensured that a point was going back to Surrey. Sam Higgins, who was out for injury for almost five months, has now scored in every one of the four matches since his return, and gave the Urchins the lead ten minutes from time, to delight most of the crowd of seven hundred and eighty two. Right at the end, however, Daniel Roberts levelled the scores for the Robins, who remain in ninth place.

Cheshunt and Potters Bar Town also waited until the latter stages to find the scoresheet. Corey Parchment signed his name onto the scoresheet for the visiting Scholars- who were down to ten men, striker Norman Wabo being dismissed on his debut- with twenty minutes remaining, but the equaliser came seven minutes later, Reece Beckles-Richards, on from the bench, getting his eleventh of the campaign. The Ambers saw themselves reduced to ten men just before the end as Amadou Kassarate joined Wabo in taking an early bath (shower- surely there are few baths in changing rooms these days?).

The Ambers remain tenth, the Scholars are fourteenth.

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