Folkestone Invicta 0, Ilkeston Town 2

FOLKESTONE Invicta endured an afternoon when just about everything that could go wrong did so on Saturday as they went down 2-0 at home to Ilkeston Town.

Invicta dropped into the bottom half of the table as they slumped to a fourth successive defeat at the hands of the Derbyshire club after conceding two first half goals. To make matters worse, striker Nicky Dent was sent off after 45 minutes and James Virgo had a penalty saved deep into first half stoppage time.

Invicta fell behind in controversial circumstances after 14 minutes when David Holmes was given on-side through the middle, went round goalkeeper Dave Wietecha and planted the ball into the empty net. It was hardly the way Wietecha would have wanted to mark his 150th appearance for the club.

The home side inadvertently hit the crossbar after 19 minutes when Virgo's misdirected free kick came back off the upright.

But Neil Cugley's side lost centre half Anthony Henry through injury after 26 minutes, though they had a ready made replacement in Andy Larkin. Ilkeston's Glen Kirkwood was inches away from converting Steve Coates' cross from the left after 29 minutes.

But it was 2-0 after 35 minutes when Ian Robinson skipped past two challenges in midfield, picked his spot and found the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Invicta's top goalscorer James Dryden had a header blocked from a Virgo free kick after 37 minutes and Dent put the rebound wide.

The home side's task was made even harder after 45 minutes when Dent was dismissed for catching Lenny Curtis with his elbow as he shrugged the defender away in an off-the-ball incident.

Curtis' last visit to Cheriton Road had seen him score an own goal as Invicta beat Hednesford 1-0 back in September to stay top of the table. Invicta were thrown a lifeline five minutes into first half stoppage time when referee Mick McCoy pointed to the penalty spot after a challenge by Chris Timons on Martin Chandler. But goalkeeper Stuart Ford got down to his left to save Virgo's spot kick.

That goal would have given Invicta hope, but the Folkestone side had chances after the interval as Lee McRobert was unlucky when his scissor kick hit the post after 53 minutes. McRobert was close again when he lobbed just wide in the 80th minute after a through ball from substitute Mark Towse, who had replaced the injured Chandler.

Andy Larkin had two stabs at reducing the deficit after 84 minutes following a free kick on the left, and goalkeeper Ford kept out Matt Bower's last minute strike after McRobert had broke down the right.

There were bookings for Invicta brothers Andy and Dan Larkin and for Ilkeston substitute Ryan Ford.

Folkestone Invicta: Wietecha, Bower, Virgo, D Larkin, Daniels (D Fisk 88 mins), McRobert, Chandler (Towse 67 mins), Chapman, Dryden, Dent, Henry (A Larkin 26 mins).