Invicta exorcised the ghost of the 2018 playoff semi-final defeat to Hendon with a 2-0 win in our first visit to Silver Jubilee Park in nearly 7 years.

Joe Turner stuck just before half time and Jack Jebb shortly after the restart as Invicta made it 3 consecutive wins to keep up the chase for the Isthmian Premier Division playoffs.

Ade Yusuff was the single remaining name in the Invicta lineup from our last trip to Hendon, selected to lead the line in the absence of Dan Smith, with Joe Turner coming into the front 3. One other change saw Marvel Ekpiteta replace Ian Gayle in the back 4, while Joel-Michael Odeniran and Sam Blackman returned to the squad on the bench after loan and injury respectively.

After a chaotic opening few minutes that saw Evans Kouassi asked to return to the dressing room by the referee and Jonny Henly receive treatment, the afternoon settled down with Invicta in control of proceedings. Hendon goalkeeper Roraigh Browne saw plenty of the ball early on as he cut out a series of crosses but wasn’t worked when the first real chance of the afternoon fell to Kouassi who dragged his effort wide after a ball over the top from Gavin Hoyte. The hosts shot wide from a rare attack just seconds later to give Invicta a warning.

Yusuff felt he should have been awarded a penalty shortly after the half hour mark, but replays appear to show his foot came down on top of the defender’s father than being tripped.

The first strike of the afternoon came with 7 minutes left of the half as Invicta opened up Hendon on the left. Yusuff drove forward with the ball before laying back to Luke Allen who delivered a cross that Joe Turner met with a flying kick to turn it home to send Invicta in ahead at the break.

Not long after the restart Invicta looked to have sewn up the points against a side struggling for goals since the departure of manager Lee Allinson 2 months ago. Again opening up space on the left flank, Turner set the ball to Nathan Green to deliver a cross, Jebb beat his defender to the ball and left him on the ground before firing beyond a helpless Browne with his seconds touch. Having scored only his 1st Invicta goal 7 days earlier, Jebb now has 2 in 2.

Hendon asserted a brief period of pressure shortly after the 2nd goal, Henly forced into a superb double save as he got down to a low free kick before seeing the rebound strike his chest. Nathan Green took the force of a third effort before Invicta finally scrambled the ball clear.

Invicta saw out a comfortable final half hour, Ade Yusuff having the best chance to add to the scoring as he came onto a cross to the far post but failed to make a clean connection.

The win leaves Invicta on a run of 5 wins from 8 games since Christmas, 9 points from the playoffs with 6 of the 8 sides above us winning on Saturday. Invicta face 2 of those 3 sides later this month, with Chichester City up next at the Alcaline Stadium and a trip to Hashtag United on Sunday 16th, the rearranged fixture with Dulwich Hamlet sandwiched in between.