Folkestone Invicta 0 Gillingham 2: Jordan Green and Olly Lee on target for Gills in opening pre-season match
16:45, 02 July 2022
updated: 17:30, 04 July 2022
Gillingham were made to work hard for their victory at Folkestone Invicta on Saturday.
Former Dulwich Hamlet forward Jordan Green - one of five players on trial for the Gills - opened the scoring in the second half at BuildKent Stadium. Green also won the penalty that Olly Lee tucked away.
This was a first pre-season outing for both teams.
Gillingham named four new signings in their squad, all of whom started, while Invicta has six new faces in their line-up.
The sons of former England players Des Walker and Dennis Wise - who was at the game - were both among the players hoping to win a deal at Gillingham.
Lewis Walker was with Derby and QPR at the beginning of his career but has most recently been playing out in Italy, with Como and then Athletic Carpi. Henry Wise is a former Watford under-23 player.
Eight second year scholars bolstered the ranks for the Gills who named 23 players for the match at the BuildKent Stadium. Of those youth players, defender Sam Gale and striker Joe Gbode both started.
New faces for the Gills were goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Shaun Williams - with the captain’s armband - Dom Jefferies and Scott Kashket. Jake Turner (goalkeeper) and Will Wright were not included.
Former Cambridge and Southend man Leon Davies played right-back for the Gills while forward Bruno Andrade, who counts Lincoln, Salford and Stevenage among his old clubs, started on the left in support of front-man Gbode in a 4-2-3-1 set-up.
Folkestone named some newcomers in their team too, looking a big and powerful outfit, providing a physical test for Gillingham. The Isthmian Premier Division side included newly-signed former Tonbridge Angels striker Ibrahim Olutade in their XI.
All six of Neil Cugley’s summer signings started, with Bailey Vose in goal. Nathan Green, Ian Gayle, James Rogers and Kadell Daniel all pulled on the amber and black shirt from the off.
The friendly was refereed by Kent official Kirsty Dowle, who was in charge of this summer’s women’s FA Cup final.
Invicta - captained by former Gills player Callum Davies - put the visitors under pressure early on from balls out wide while Scott Heard dragged a shot from distance narrowly wide. Ade Yusuff smashed another chance over the bar.
Gbode’s neat touch created a good opportunity for the Gills, setting Kashket away down the right but when his low cross found its way to Andrade, a crowd of defenders blocked his view to goal.
At the other end Yusuff continued to be a handful and Maynard-Brewer had to hang onto a stinging effort with half an hour approaching on the clock.
With just a few minutes of the first half remaining Shaun Williams went close with an audacious effort from the halfway line, his shot looping over Vose but dropping just wide.
Some patient approach play from the Gills resulted in a couple of efforts from Bailey Akehurst that were blocked.
Young centre-back Sam Gale got a telling off from the referee as an enthusiastic challenge took out Yusuff and from the free-kick, which hit the wall, the same Folkestone player went down in the box with reasonable shouts for a penalty that were turned down.
It was all-change for both teams at the break after a goalless opening 45. Former Yeovil and Barnsley forward Jordan Green was among the second half eleven for the Gills. Stuart O’Keefe captained a much younger team from the restart.
Olly Lee played behind front-man Walker in the second half for Gillingham with Matty MacArthur and Green either side. MacArthur had replaced Kashket after half an hour, a substitution that was planned rather than an injury.
Youth goalkeeper Taite Holtam had a defence infront of him that included three fellow second year scholars, left-back David Tutonda the only senior.
Gillingham hadn’t tested the home keeper in the opening half but Vose’s replacement Connor Collins was made to work to keep out an effort from the lively MacArthur.
Moments later, with 56 minutes played, Gillingham took the lead. MacArthur beat the offside trap to run onto a ball from Green that sent him away with just the keeper to beat. Collins kept his effort out but Green was on hand to finish from close range.
Green cut out a pass from the back to create another chance, playing in Lee, but when he cut back inside his shot went wide of the mark as he looked to pick out the top corner.
Lee did get on the scoresheet with 77 minutes gone, converting from the penalty spot. Green was tripped by Matt Newman and although the Gills trialist looked like he wanted the spot-kick, Lee took responsibility and sent Invicta’s keeper the wrong way.
Walker shot wide the Gills with five minutes left while Olutade - one of only two players to complete the 90 - fired over the bar for Invicta.
Folkestone (first half): Vose, Vincent, Green, Gayle, Davies, Rogers, Heard, Ronnie Dolan, Olutade, Yusuff, Daniel.
Second half: Collins, Yamfam, Green, Newman, Blanks, Draycott, Everitt, Gaye, Rob Dolan, Olutade, Sterling.
Gillingham (first half): Maynard-Brewer, Davies, Gale, Ehmer, Williams, Reeves, Gbode, Jefferies, Andrade, Kahsket (MacArthur 30mins), Akehurst.
Second half: Holtam, Moore, Carter, Giles, Tutonda, O'Keefe, Wise, Greene, Lee, MacArthur (Dempsey 83mins), Walker.
Attendance: 949