Invicta were beaten on a sodden Saturday afternoon at the Alcaline Stadium as visitors Cray Valley PM took advantage of two controversial dismissals to depart with all 3 points.

The work done this summer on the pitch at Cheriton Road was put to a real test with heavy rain coming down for most of the day but it held up to the test as a crowd of 780 braved the conditions to witness 90 minutes that may have only saw 1 goal but left spectators with plenty of talking points.

Manager Andy Drury made 2 changes to the side that started the previous week’s abandoned trip to Wingate & Finchley, with Jamie Mascoll replacing Frankie Morgan at left back and new addition Amadou Kassaraté coming into the midfield for Josh Chambers.

Within 2 minutes of kick off we saw action at both ends, Invicta defending 2 corners from the visitors at the Cricket Ground End with Evans Kouassi leading a counter attack from the second before delivering a cross that Tom Derry headed wide.

The first big chance came for Invicta on 18 minutes, a cross from Gavin Hoyte cleared to Mascoll who found Dan Smith in space in the penalty area, the forward denied by a very good save from Cray Valley keeper Max Ovenden.

Kassaraté’s first booking came midway through the first half, Cray Valley right back Barney Williams running into him on the halfway line. The referee played advantage that ended with a cross going behind for a goal kick to Invicta. After assessing Williams, who wanted treatment for a clash of knees, Kassaraté was eventually called over to be booked.

Cray Valley best chance of the half came on the half hour mark, winger Michael Ademiluyi released down the right but his shot went just wide of the near post. Dean Rance picked up his first booking in the aftermath for questioning why Invicta were not given a free kick in the build up.

The referee caused confusion around the ground moments later following a coming together between Hoyte and Andre Coker, both players left on the floor but neither in search of treatment but play was brought to a halt with Dan Smith breaking into space on the right. Cray Valley attempted to take a quick free kick, seemingly thinking a foul had been given in their favour but eventually, after nearly a minute and a half, play resumed with a drop ball to Invicta that lead to Kouassi shooting wide from the edge of the box.

From the goal kick Invicta won the ball back high up the pitch, but Kassaraté was dispossessed by Matthew Vigor who took a tumble under minimal contact. The referee was quickly surrounded by a number of light blue shirts before producing a second yellow card to cut short Amadou’s debut. Tempers flared with Hoyte and Cray Valley defender Mohammed Idris Oshilaja both receiving a booking of their own during another break of 2 and a half minutes.

The referee found himself surrounded by more blue shirts a few moments later after a coming together between Hoyte and Freddie Parker, then again after Dean Rance was caught by a high challenge but saw the free kick given against him.

Deep into first half stoppage time Smith was on the end of another chance, Mascoll delivering a cross that evaded Tom Derry but found Smith who forced a save from a tight angle. Cray Valley cleared the resulting corner as the referee blew for half time.

With the second half not even 5 minutes old Invicta lost another man, Dean Rance picking up his second booking for appealing for a handball in the middle of the pitch. Andy Drury’s side left to play the final 40 minutes with 9 men.

Gavin Hoyte was left needing treatment after an apparent stamp in front of the packed Brian Merrymen Stand, however the incident went unnoticed by the officials with the Cray Valley player involved substituted before play restarted.

Jamie Mascoll was next into the book after being adjudged to have taken too long over a throw in.

Despite their numerical advantage, Cray Valley were struggling to test a resolute Invicta, limited to long shots high or wide and finding any ball into the box dealt with by captain Ian Gayle and his defence but finally they found a breakthrough with little more than 15 minutes remaining. A corner from the left was met in the middle of the penalty area by substitute Adam Coombes who found the far corner.

Invicta were almost level within seconds, Dan Smith feeding Tom Derry in behind but Ovenden was off his line quickly and made himself big to deny his shot on goal.

A lack of black and amber shirts on the pitch was making it hard for Invicta to get out or to press the visitor’s defence on the ball with the game beginning to head towards defeat. Into stoppage time Invicta’s 4 substitutes all linked up to create one final chance. Peter Ojemen threw the ball down the left for Frankie Morgan to deliver a cross, Ellis Brown got his head to the ball with Dan Smith laying off the chance for Matt Young from the edge of the box but he fires narrowly wide off his weaker foot.

With another break in play during the 6 minutes of added time, the clock had ticket beyond the 100 minute mark when Morgan delivered one last set piece form deep with Jonny Henly up in the opposition’s penalty area, but it was taken by Ovenden before the referee brought the afternoon to a conclusion amid a chorus of boos from the majority of those in attendance.

Defender Marvel Ekpiteta was selected as man of the match by our match sponsors Simbi Ltd.

Andy Drury was left with the task of picking his side up for the trip to Hastings on bank holiday Monday, with just 48 hours to recover, before a trip to Ramsgate in the FA Cup on Saturday.