Invicta dug deep to bounce back from defeat to Dover as a Dan Smith goal and a second half penalty save from Jonny Henly secured all 3 points against Cray Wanderers.

Andy Drury made 2 enforced changes from Bonfire Night, with Ian Gayle injured and Khale Da Costa suspended having picked up a 5th booking of the season a week earlier at Carshalton (3 of those collected before Khale joined Invicta!). Joel-Michael Odeniran came into the defence alongside Marvel Ekpiteta, still wearing war wounds from the Tuesday evening while Joe Turner was afforded his first start in black & amber in the attack. Winger Matthias Fanimo was adjudged to be fit enough for the bench, despite not having trained since picking up a knock in the warmup a week earlier.

Invicta kicking off and attacking the West Stand, it was nearly the two incoming players that combined to open the scoring inside 4 minutes. Turner swung a cross in from the left, Odeniran headed it goal-bound from point blank range only to be denied by an incredible save from Shaun Rowley.

Neither side would truly threaten before Invicta opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a well worked move. A Dean Rance ball into Amadou Kaddaraté was laid off to Dan Smith, the no. 10 feeding Turner in space to his left before racing into the 6 yard box for the ball to be returned for a tap in from close range.

The goal opened the game up for Invicta to have a positive end to the first half. Smith was provider for Kassaraté who cut onto his left foot on the edge of the box, a curling effort well saved by Rowley. The midfielder would then curl an effort over the bar on his right foot after being set up again by Smith.

The two linked again for Invicta’s final chance of the half, Kassaraté slipped in behind the Cray defence and cutting the ball back to Smith who forced a save from a tight angle just seconds before the whistle went to bring the first half to a close.

Invicta failed to kick on again after the restart and were very nearly made to pay shortly before the hour mark after the visitors were awarded a penalty in strange circumstances. Odeniran lost his balance and stumbled, taking a while to eventually fall forwards to the floor and making minimal contact at best with his upper body on Cray’s Joshua Williams. Substitute Anthony Cook stepped up to take the kick but Henly was down to his right to push it away and maintain Invicta’s advantage.

The visitors, desperate for points on the road, began to increase the pressure on Invicta who were struggling to regain control of the game. An effort on 68 minutes was blocked before another on 75 minutes was deflected very narrowly over the bar for a corner that ended with an effort sent wide from the edge of the area.

Invicta’s goal spent the remainder of the afternoon almost under siege from a series of set pieces, but the back 4 and goalkeeper showed enough determination to dig out the clean sheet that would allow Smith’s first half strike to settle the match.

Marvel Ekpiteta was selected as Man of the Match by our match sponsors, heading away every ball despite still recovering from the scars of Bonfire Night.