Invicta’s FA Trophy campaign continues on Saturday with a trip to Bedfordshire to face Southern League Central Division side Barton Rovers.

Andy Drury’s side come into the tie on the back of a 3 match unbeaten run. Since beating Ascot United 8-1 in the previous round, Invicta have picked up 4 points from 2 games against Hashtag United and Canvey Island which leaves us 10th in the Isthmian Premier Division after 10 games. With only 1 league fixture set to take place at the weekend (Cheshunt v Cray Wanderers), Invicta won’t have to worry about losing ground to rivals while on FA Trophy duty.

Invicta were due to visit Horsham on Tuesday 29th October, but with The Hornets involvement in the FA Cup 1st Round the following weekend the match has now been postponed to give them a free week to prepare and will now be played on Tuesday 17th December. Our next fixture after Saturday will be a trip to Carshalton Athletic on Saturday 2nd November before back to back home Kent Derbies with Dover Athletic and Cray Wanderers. Tickets for our Bonfire Night clash wish Dover can be purchased online now.

The Isuzu FA Trophy

The Isuzu FA Trophy was founded in 1969 to afford non-league clubs the opportunity to compete to play at Wembley Stadium, with Macclesfield Town wining the first final in 1970. Wembley Stadium hosted every final up until its demolition in 2000, with Stoke City’ Victoria Ground (1984) and West Brom’s Hawthorns (1987 & 1988) hosting replays. Aston Villa’s Villa Park and West Ham’s Boleyn Ground hosted finals until it returned to the new Wembley Stadium in 2007.

Teams from Step 4 to Step 1 of the National League System (NLS) compete in the FA Trophy, with 320 clubs entering this season’s competition. 136 clubs remain in the competition ahead of the 1st Round, with 32 set to be eliminated ahead of Monday’s draw, with 48 teams from the National League Noth & South joining the competition. The remaining 24 teams from the National League will enter the competition at the 3rd Round stage in December.

The furthest Folkestone Invicta have progressed in the FA Trophy is the 5th Round stage in 2021/22 season, beating Hendon, Faversham Town, Hartley Wintney and Uxbridge before being beaten by National League side Wrexham 5-1 at The Racecourse Ground in the game played behind closed doors.

The FA Trophy has only ever been won by a club from Kent on 2 occasions: Ebbsfleet United in 2008 and Bromley in 2022. Bromley also reached the final in 2018, while Dartford are the only other Kent club to reach a final, beaten by Morecambe in 1974.

Hornchurch are only club from Step 3 to win the FA Trophy, beating Hereford 3-1 in 2021.

The 1st Round winners will receive £3,000, the losers £775.

Should Saturday’s tie finish level after 90 minutes we will go straight to penalties.

Should Invicta progress, the next round is scheduled to be played on Saturday 16th November, with Invicta currently set to travel to Potters Bar Town on that date.

Team News

Invicta will be at almost full strength for Saturday’s trip to Bedfordshire, with Chris Sessegnon missing having dislocated his shoulder in the 8-1 win over Ascot United in the previous round.

Marvel Ekpiteta is set to return having served a 1-match suspension for last week’s trip to Canvey Island while young defender Joel Odeniran is cup tied having featured for Herne Bay earlier in the competition.

From The Manager

Manager Andy Drury spoke ahead of Saturday’s fixture: “We are looking forward to Saturday’s trip to Barton Rovers and will be looking to take the opportunity to progress to the 2nd Round of the FA Trophy and hopefully go on a run in the competition. We go into the game in a good run of form and it is important that we continue that with tough fixtures coming up. With National South sides entering the competition in the next round we want to be in the hat on Monday, that leaves you just 1 win away from a potential tie with clubs from the National League and some huge clubs who play at that level.

We have done homework on Barton Rovers and expect a tough game on Saturday, we can expect them to raise their level and come out looking to cause a cup upset, we need to be on it from the first minute and make sure that does not happen.”

Previously

Saturday will be the first ever meeting between Invicta and Barton Rovers.

Previously in the FA Trophy, Invicta progressed through the 3rd Qualifying Round by beating Ascot United 8-1 in the previous round, our largest ever victory in the competition and our largest victory since an 8-0 win over Crawley Down Gatwick in December 2013. You can catch up with highlights from the win on Invicta TV.

The Opposition

Barton Rovers sit 8th in the Southern League Central Division with 17 points from 11 games so far this season. They have so far beaten Waltham Abbey (1-1, 4-2 on pens), Leverstock Green (4-3) and Littlehampton Town (1-0) to reach this stage of the FA Trophy, and on Saturday they will be looking for a win that will take them the furthest they have progressed in the competition for 24 years.

Last 6

21/09 – Leverstock Green (A) – Won 4-3 (FA Trophy)
28/09 – Hertford Town (A) – Drew 2-2
01/10 – Enfield (A) – Lost 1-0
05/10 – Littlehampton Town (A) – Won 1-0 (FA Trophy)
19/10 – Hadley (H) – Drew 1-1
22/10 – Stotfold (H) – Won 4-2

The Venue

Travel

Always check rail times/strike action before you travel. 

By Train: 

Admission  

The game is pay in the gate with no tickets on sale in advance.

• Adult: £9
• Concession: £6
• Under 14: FREE