Isthmian League football returned on Saturday as Invicta shared the points with Carshalton Athletic, winger Evans Kouassi levelling with a strike from distance after a deflected effort from Dominic Vose had given the visitors the lead inside 5 minutes.

No doubt helped by the summer sun that bathed the Alcaline Stadium, 885 people filtered through the turnstiles, a record attendance both the opening day of the season and for fixtures against Carshalton.

The manager handed debut to nine players from the start, with only captain Ian Gayle and midfielder Dean Rance remaining from last season’s squad. Gayle lined up in defence alongside Peter Ojemen, a final summer signing unveiled shortly before kick off.

Invicta’s winless run against The Robins now stands at 11 games, stretching back to a 3-1 win in April 2016 in the Ryman South, the fixture computer throwing up the very definition of a “bogey team” for Andy Drury’s new-look side on the opening day of the season.

That must have been a thought going through the head of many stood on the terraces when the visitors struck early on. With just over 4 minutes on the clock, a cross from the left was headed into the air at the back post by left back Jamie Mascoll, dropping into the path of Vose who saw his volley take a wicked deflection that left Invicta’s Jonny Henly helpless as the ball bobbled beyond him into the net.

Kouassi gave a first glimpse of his attacking prowess almost immediately, closing down a clearance before working with Dan Smith to create a shooting opportunity from a tight angle but he failed to hit the target.

The visitors had a couple of speculative efforts of their own either side of the 10 minute mark as they looked to extend their early lead. Sharon Ifeanyi fired high and wide from just outside the box before a low effort from Fabio Saraiva evaded a lunge from his teammate as it head past the post.

Carshalton were left to rue that missed opportunity just moments later. A Dean Rance cross from the right was cleared as far as Mascoll who threw his left boot through the bouncing ball some 25 yardages from goal, an almost perfectly hit effort leaving the goalkeeper rooted to the spot as it thundered against the crossbar and bounced back out. Defender Abdul Sankoh was first to it but under pressure he knocked the ball into the path of Kouassi, the winger beating 2 men as he drove inside before unleashing a left-footed effort as he lost his balance but he had caught it sweetly enough to see the ball fly inside the near post with goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley left clutching at thin air.

Adding to his debut goal, Kouassi picked up Invicta’s first caution of the season on 25 minutes. After beating two men the winger lunged after the ball that had trickled away from him and caught his opponent, earning him a spot in the referee’s notebook.

Neither side was able to unlock the other before half time, Invicta remaining resolute in defence but finding Carshalton heads meeting Matt Young’s dangerous set piece deliveries at the other end.

Invicta came out of the blocks quickly after the break, Kouassi at the heart of it. Inside a minute, Mascoll and Ellis Brown worked a move from a throw in to free Kouassi on the left, the winger firing a low ball across the 6-yard box that Dean Rance got a touch to with Dan Smith waiting to pound behind him but unable to adjust to reach the ball’s new trajectory. Carshalton cleared the ball for a throw and Invicta worked a cross that was headed clear to Kouassi who danced away from a couple of challenges before firing an effort from 25 yards that the keeper took fairly comfortably.

The first of FIVE substitutions for Invicta came shortly before the hour mark as Josh Chambers came on for his debut, replacing Ellis Brown.

A Matt Young corner from the right caused a goalmouth scramble on the hour mark, Carshalton eventually hooking the ball out for a throw. From the throw Mascoll, Chambers and Kouassi battled with the Carshalton defence with Kouassi eventually coming away with the ball, cutting inside and firing a low shot wide of the near post from the edge of the box.

The corner flag in the bowls club corner of the ground took a hefty whack after Gavin Hoyte saw a cross blocked. It took some work from Gavin to dig out the broken bottom of the flag so that it could be slotted back into place.

Chambers was growing into the game quickly and showing his ability to cause problems, battling his way around a defender and keeping the ball in play on the byline, cutting back to Smith who was closed down as he reached the ball before Matt Young went down under a challenge to illicit a few half-hearted shouts for a penalty from the terraces but nothing more.

With 15 minutes to go Peter Ojemen saw his debut cut short as he departed with cramp, Marvel Ekpiteta replacing him to make his own debut, while Tom Derry replaced Matt Young as the manager shuffled his forward line in search of a winner.

Ifeanyi took aim from miles out to produce Carshalton’s first effort of the second half, Henly able to watch as it sailed over his goal to strike the stand behind.

Invicta’s best chance of the second half fell to Dean Rance in the final 10 minutes. Kouassi picked the ball up wide left, teasing two defenders before lifting the ball over them to Chambers, his cutback finding Smith who was closed down and the ball cleared to the edge of the box where Rance struck a left footed effort that forced a good save from Foley.

Left back Frankie Morgan made his debut with a few minutes to go, replacing Smith and immediately producing a dangerous cross that unfortunately evaded all in black and amber. With time ticking away Hoyte delivered from the other side, Derry diving in front of his defender to get his head to the ball but unable to turn it on target.

With neither side able to find themselves a winner, the points were shared in what was the only draw on the opening day of the Isthmian Premier Division season. Invicta made it 4 years unbeaten on the opening day of the season with 2 wins and 2 draws since defeat to Worthing in 2020.

Man of the match was awarded to fullback Gavin Hoyte by Tony Newport from Match Sponsors Newport Grab Hire. We would like to thank Tony for his continued support of the club.

Next up for Invicta is the small matter of a first trip to Dover on Tuesday evening for a league fixture between the clubs for 20 years.