Invicta recovered from Saturday’s FA Trophy exit to make it back-to-back Isthmian Premier Division wins at the Alcaline Stadium with a first league win over Dulwich Hamlet since September 2008.

Manager Andy Drury was able to select from a near full squad, with Joe Turner and Joel-Michael Odeniran available having been cup-tied for Saturday’s clash with Hanwell Town while captain Ian Gayle and winger Matthias Fanimo came straight into the starting XI after shaking off injuries. Those returns meant Tom Derry and Sam Blackman dropped to the bench while Khale Da Costa missed the match after the knock that forced him off early on the Saturday.

Determined to put right the wrongs of Saturday, Invicta imposed their intent on the game from the first whistle. A ball into the box in the first minute caused the Dulwich keeper problems at the far post, before the visitors were forced to defence two corners as supporters made their way round to the Cricket Ground terrace that Invicta were attacking in the first half.

Fanimo was the first to test the goalkeeper on 3 minutes, Frankie Morgan with a rampaging run up the left flank, avoiding challenges when maybe he could have easily been brought down inside the penalty area, the left back squaring to the right winger who didn’t get enough on his effort to really trouble Jameson Horlick.

Invicta were playing at a high tempo both with and without the ball and able to use all the width that the big pitch at Cheriton Road afforded them. Fanimo showed little signs of any rustiness having not trained in recent weeks, running at Dulwich fullback Jerome Binnom-Williams only for his cutback not to find a black & amber shirt.

Dean Rance took sight at goal from distance after 6 minutes and Dan Smith headed just over in the 11th from a Fanimo cross before Invicta were then awarded a penalty in the 13th minute. Turner picked up the ball in the Dulwich half and drove into space with a lack of red shirts to stop him, right back Sean Bennett-Johnson eventually came to engage having been covering the overlapping run of Morgan and brought Turner down. Dan Smith stepped up but saw his effort saved by the trailing leg of Horlick.

Fanimo fired over and Turner saw a simple shot saved as Invicta looked determined not to allow themselves to drop their standards in the wake of the missed penalty. Kassaraté showed his threat as we ticked into the 21st minute as he burst onto a pass from Smith on the left, driving inside and, like Morgan earlier in the evening, doing well to stay on his feet under a challenge but found the keeper on top of him by the time he was able to get a shot off.

Invicta were getting closer, the two wingers combined on 29 minutes with Fanimo cutting the ball back to Turner who had made a near post run but saw his first time effort go agonisingly beyond the post.

The visitors got off their first shot of the evening in the 35th minute with a rare foray into the Invicta penalty area but Luke Wanadio saw his effort head over the crossbar.

Home supporters could have been forgiven for thinking we may end up heading into the half time break ruing missed chances again, especially after Fanimo fired wide from distance with 5 minutes remaining, but it was the winger who pounced quickest on a mistake to create the opening goal of the evening. A sloppy pass back to the keeper forced an equally poor clearance under pressure from Smith that went straight to Fanimo who took no asking to run at the unset defence and into the penalty area to square the ball to Kassaraté who controlled with his left foot and quickly buried it into the far corner with his right to send Invicta in ahead at the break.

Invicta didn’t allow the interval to stem the flow of the evening. Dan Smith struck wide from the edge of the penalty area before Rance broke through the defence and poked an effort beyond the goalkeeper only to see it cleared off the line. But Andy Drury wouldn’t have to wait long to see his side establish some breathing space, as Kassaraté scored his 5th of the season in the 54th minute. Smith collected a throw from Morgan, turning while holding off his defender to feed a ball through the gap, Kassaraté making the run through and beating the goalkeeper to it to finish as he took a clattering. Judging by his celebrations it can’t have hurt too much!

The visitors saw Wanadio volley well over the crossbar from 25 yards on the hour mark, looking increasing frustrated as he did so. It was a moment of little respite for the visitors as Invicta continued to push, Turner seeing an effort from the edge of the area blocked while Fanimo always remained a threat, breaking quickly with 10 minutes to go but seeing the goalkeeper smother his chance to shoot.

Dulwich had been asserting a degree of control but it looked like Invicta had ridden that out until Wanadio finally found his goal. A clearance from the edge of the box fell to the former Invicta man at least 25 yards from goal and he picked his spot in the very top of top corners, leaving Henly no chance.

Nerves could be felt around the crowd of 762 that had come out on the cold, but thankfully dry, evening. Invicta’s defence stood firm however, Henly’s goal remained untested for the final 8 minutes plus additional 3, back-to-back league wins secured to take Invicta up to 9th, just 5 points off the playoffs.

Unsurprisingly, Amadou Kassaraté was selected as Man of the Match after his goals either side of half time. The midfielder was brought to the club in the back of the chairman’s Maserati, if you believe the song on the terraces that night!

Next up for Invicta is the visit of Bognor Regis Town on Saturday ahead of back-to-back trips to Sussex; Horsham on Tuesday 26th and Whitehawk on Saturday 30th. We are back at the Alcaline Stadium on Saturday 7th December when we entertain Cheshunt.