Invicta secured a place in Monday’s FA Trophy 2nd Round draw by seeing off Southern League Central Division side Barton Rovers in Bedfordshire, setting up a home tie with Hanwell Town next month.

Having beaten Ascot United 8-1 in the previous round, Invicta made the long trip to The Winton Haulage Stadium looking to continue a run in our final cup competition of the season.

Manager Andy Drury was forced into a small reshuffle of his side, with 3 changes to that which beat Canvey Island the previous Saturday. With captain Ian Gayle rested and Joel Odeniran cup-tied, Marvel Ekpiteta returned to the XI to play alongside Amadou Kassaraté in the centre of defence. Dean Rance the third absentee in midfield, with Sam Blackman coming in and Tom Derry allowing Dan Smith to operate in a slightly deeper role.

Just north of Luton, it was a grey afternoon but thankfully the rain held off with no shelter for supporters at either end of the pitch that sits on a prominent slope, Invicta kicking downhill in the first half. Our hosts were the first to break into a shooting opportunity inside the first minute, Ekpiteta blocking the shot.

Invicta’s first effort of the afternoon came from Jamie Mascoll inside 7 minutes, Barton clearing balls into the box from either flank before Invicta’s left back smash his shot high and wide from distance. Jack Jebb followed up with an effort from even further out on 16 minutes as Invicta probed for an opening in the Barton defence.

That first sight of goal game in the 18th minute as Matthias Fanimo came in from the right and found Khale Da Costa with his back to goal inside the area, the winger spinning to hit an effort just over the crossbar.

Invicta’s opening goal came shortly after, with Da Costa at the heart of it. Jamie Mascoll nipped in to win the ball back 10 yards inside the Invicta half, laid the ball off to his winger and set off for the byline, Da Costa threading a ball in behind for him to chase. Heading down the slope, the Barton defender attempted to shield the ball out of play but Mascoll forced his way beyond the man to keep the ball in play and cut it back into the penalty area, Tom Derry on hand to send the ball inside the far post with his hip.

📺 A double from @tom_derry and a late strike from @eebuzoeme_ secured our place in tomorrow’s FA Trophy 2nd Round draw #fifc | 🟠⚫️ pic.twitter.com/wtXjozADzA

— Folkestone Invicta (@FIFC) October 27, 2024

Dan Smith came closest to extending Invicta’s advantage before the break but saw a header on half hour go wide and an effort in stoppage time deflected away for a corner. Barton’s biggest threat to equalising also came in injury time with a free kick from 25 yards, sent straight down the centre of Henly’s goal and comfortably saved.

Barton, now heading down the slope in the second half, came out after the break looking to find a weakness in the patched up defence and punish Invicta for for not extending their lead before the break. Invicta, meanwhile, looked incisive and dangerous on the break, flying up the hill at pace any time they collected the ball. 11 minutes into the second period Derry headed clear a free kick, Invicta won the ball back with good pressure and broke 3-on-1, Da Costa squaring the ball to Fanimo into the penalty area but the winger failed to make a clean connection on his first time effort and the chance went begging.

Da Costa was the creator of Invicta’s next chance in the 62nd minute, collecting the ball in space on the left and floating a cross to the back post, Tom Derry seeing his header saved. A few minutes later Mascoll won a free kick high on the left, a similar position to that which lead to Invicta’s winning goal at Canvey Island a week earlier. Jebb’s quality of delivery caused issues, Ekpiteta turning the ball back into the area from beyond the back post but no red and white shirt was able to turn it home.

Invicta wouldn’t have to wait much longer ton finally extend the lead. Tom Derry closed down a defender who sent a loose pass across the defence, Dan Smith reacting quickly to collect the ball inside the centre circle and race away up the hill, finding the overlapping run of Derry to drilled his effort across the face of goal into the bottom corner.

Despite playing downhill, our hosts now faced an uphill task in their attempts to cause an upset, their best chance to strike back came with around 15 minutes remaining as big striker John Shamalo raced onto a ball over the top and got a shot away under pressure, Jonny Henly was out quickly to close the angle and make the save.

Derry had a half chance to complete a hat-trick 5 minutes from time but saw his effort from an angle comfortably saved. It wasn’t until stoppage time that Invicta finally completed the scoring. After substitute Evans Kouassi saw a chance to shoot go begging, the Barton keeper rolled the ball out quickly to his defender who was caught in possession by Eze Ebuzoeme, the midfielder wasting no time in catching the keeper off his line and lifting the ball into the net to score his first goal for the club.

The win set Invicta up for a home tie with Southern League Premier South side Hanwell Town in the 2nd Round, the tie due to be played on Saturday 16th November at the Alcaline Stadium.