Folkestone Invicta extended their unbeaten start to the season to seven games in all competitions as goals from Ade Yusuff, Maxx Manktelow and Donell Thomas brushed Whitehawk aside at Hartsdown Park on Saturday afternoon.

Jay Saunders made two changes to the side that beat Sevenoaks Town in the FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round with Maxx Manktelow returning to midfield in place of Jack Jebb and Joe Pigott leading the line alongside Ade Yusuff, having signed for Invicta earlier in the week.

Having finished our first home fixture at Hartsdown Park with an injury time winner, Invicta took little time to open the scoring on our return to Thanet. A second corner in the opening four minutes was headed back to Donell Thomas who sent his second delivery to the back post where a Whitehawk head turned the ball into the path of Yusuff who displayed his strength to hold off a defender and turn the ball beyond goalkeeper Josh Shattell.

Before the visitors had chance to regroup, Invicta hit them again with an early contender for goal of the season. Dean Rance, Liam Smith, Ben Mason and Joe Pigott worked a quick passing move down the right side to open up space before Mason pulled the ball inside for Thomas who in turn found the run of Maxx Manktelow on the edge of the penalty area, the Ebbsfleet United loanee striking the ball first time high into the net, beating Shattell for pace, to draw admiring applause for all around Hartsdown Park.

Manktelow then turned provider as he swung a deep free kick into the back post for Joel-Michael Odeniran to turn home but the defender was denied a second goal in consecutive games by the linesman’s flag. Shattell gifted Invicta another chance to make it 3-0 by passing the resulting free kick straight to Yusuff who raced through on goal, but the keeper redeemed himself by denying the Invicta forward his second of the afternoon.

The visitors then had a couple of efforts of their own – firing wide from a tight angle and over from near 30 yards – before Manktelow was given another sight at goal by a poor defensive header that dropped to him on the edge of the penalty area but the midfielder pulled a left-footed effort wide. He went closer just a minute later after work from Pigott and Yusuff on the left opened up space in front of the Whitehawk defence for him to shoot from 25 yards but Shattell got behind his bouncing effort.

Invicta keeper Ted Collins was called into action for the first time on the half hour mark when a Whitehawk free kick before the back post found captain Nathan Cooper who attempted to turn the ball back across the face of goal, Collins making a stop at his front post. Collins was given a sterner test a few moments later as Andrew Briggs took aim from 25 yards, forcing a one-handed stop to push the ball over the crossbar.

With 10 minutes remaining before half time, Pigott was gifted his first sight of goal by a poor back pass that allowed the forward to race towards goal. Attempting to catch Shatell off his goal line, Pigott lifted the ball over him but his effort dropped just wide of the post.

The first half was meandering towards its conclusion with Invicta looking like taking a 2-0 lead into the break before Ade Yusuff won a penalty kick in the final minute of the half. After controlling a pass from Montel McKenzie, Yusuff went down under a challenge from defender Hugo Odogwu-Atkinson and the referee pointed to the spot. Yusuff picked himself up to send Shattell the wrong way and take his tally for the season to five in seven appearances.

There was no flying start to the second half from Invicta, with McKenzie and Pigott only forcing simple saves with a long range drive and a front post flick respectively.

Just beyond the hour mark, Yusuff won the ball high up the pitch from a Whitehawk defender and drove into the penalty area, squaring to his strike partner Pigott who took one touch before unselfishly knocking the ball into Thomas who was completely unmarked to finish into the bottom corner for a fourth, the first time Invicta have scored four away from Cheriton Road since the opening day of the 2023/24 season at Wingate & Finchley.

Whitehawk were given the chance for an immediate response when Joel Daly was brought down in the penalty area within seconds of the restart. Charlie Lambert struck his spot kick well enough to beat Collins despite the Invicta stopper going the right way.

Invicta went to the other end and appeared to immediately restore their four-goal advantage after Ade Yusuff beat his defender to deliver a driven cross from the left that Pigott turned home inside the six yard box, only for the assistant referee’s flag to deny him a debut goal – much to the annoyance of the black & amber supporters filling the terrace behind the goal.

Collins was then forced into a low save from Lambert who fired a cutback straight at the Invicta number one.

Manktelow appeared determined to add to his first half strike, first taking aim with a free kick wide on the left that forced a double-fisted punch from Shattell. A throw from the right was then cleared to the edge of the box for the midfielder to drive a low effort through a crowd of legs and looked destined for the bottom corner, only for Shattell to be on top form to deny him again with a save down low to his right.

Yusuff and substitute Jake Hutchinson both failed to test Shattell with late half chances to add a fifth, but four was more than enough to bring cheers upon the referee’s final whistle. Three points for Jay Saunders’ side takes Invicta to third in the Isthmian Premier Division after six games, our highest league position in over two years, on the coattails of early pace-setters Brentwood Town and Dulwich Hamlet.

Ade Yusuff was selected as our Player of the Match by match sponsors GSE. If you wish to sponsor a match this season get in touch with our partnerships manager Jason Spencer at partnerships@folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk

Our attentions turn away from league action this week as we look towards Friday night and our FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round tie with Maidstone United at Chatham Town’s Bauvill Stadium. Both tickets and travel are on sale now.

Invicta are back in league action on Monday 15th September when we visit Aveley. Supporters’ travel bookings are on sale now.