Folkestone Invicta Women took to the pitch at the Alcaline Stadium for the very first time on Sunday afternoon, putting on an impressive first half performance to delight a crowd of 312 as even the occasional torrential downpour failed to put a dampener in the day.

Sunday’s opening South East Counties Women’s Football League fixture is only the second time the group has played together, having beaten Staplehurst Monarchs 8-1 in their only pre-season friendly a week earlier. Mark Janser’s first starting XI featured 6 from last season’s U18 girls side, 10 from the matchday squad of 16.

Even with the weather dry at kick off, the forecast of heavy rain throughout the afternoon saw the crowd take up positions in the Brian Merryman Stand and the West Stand, which Mersham attacked as they kicked off the afternoon.

Just over 2 minutes in Invicta already showed their attacking intent, Chloe Lloyd who scored 4 in the previous week’s friendly win, causing problems in the penalty area before the ball was cleared as far as Rebekah Goodhand who fired wide from the edge of the box.

It wasn’t long until the Invicta crowd had something to celebrate with Hayley Turrell etching her name in history as Folkestone Invicta Women’s first ever goalscorer. From a throw on the right, the ball was laid into Turrell who span 180 degrees to fire into the top corner from 25 yards.

Invicta kept up the pressure with a double chance moments later, Lloyd and Turrell both denied by the goalkeeper before a second effort from Lloyd was blocked and cleared.

Lloyd went close again to scoring her first competitive goal for the club after 20 minutes after a defensive mixup but saw her effort blocked again.

The visitors had their first effort on goal after 27 minutes, a corner cleared out of the box with an effort fired wide from 25 yards. Just 2 minutes later goalkeeper Aaliyah Singh was forced into a first save of the afternoon from an identical situation, although the effort was on target it failed to test her. The in the 33rd minute another corner was cleared further, with another shot sent back towards goal but again quite easily taken.

Having ridden the brief period of pressure, Invicta got themselves back on top with Charley Kerry firing wide from distance after 35 minutes.

Invicta doubled their lead just 2 minutes later, right back Ria Lowery-Jones with a perfect pass from deep in behind the Mersham defence that Turrell latched onto, driving into the penalty area and firing beyond the goalkeeper to double her tally.

A hat-trick goal wasn’t far away. Another ball from deep, this time from Charley Kerry over the top of the defence, Hayley collected it before firing home from just outside the penalty area and wheeling away to celebrate with her teammates as not only the clubs first goalscorer but now scorer of the first hat-trick.

With Invicta looking rampant before half time, a Charley Kerry free kick was pushed onto the cross bar by the Mersham goalkeeper.

Not content with her hat-trick, Turrell turned provider just before the break. A defensive error saw a loose ball bounce her way for her to lift over the defence into the path of Katelyn Luckett who went around the goalkeeper to finish the chance and send Invicta into the break 4-0 up.

The game was very different after the break, Invicta relinquishing the control ar Mersham, who finished 3rd in the division last season, pressing for a way back into it. It was halfway through the second period that Singh was forced into her first real save of the afternoon, an effort from 25 yards that looked to be heading inside the post before she got both hands to it to push it away. Invicta cleared the resulting corner before another effort from distance forced a second good save in as many minutes from Singh, this time down low to her right.

Merhsam kept the pressure up and finally saw a reward a minute later, working a throw from the left into the penalty area for Sarah Freeman to send a looping effort over Singh to become the first opposition player to score against Folkestone Invicta Women.

If there were any worried of a Mersham comeback they never materialised, the closest the visitors came to cutting the deficit further was a shot from distance that struck the crossbar with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Although Invicta were unable to add to their first half goals, they were able to see out the second half (with nearly 10 minutes of stoppage time) to secure a well deserved 4-1 win.

Hat-trick goalscorer Hayley Turrell was awarded Invicta player of the match while Invicta goalkeeper Aaliyah Singh was selected as the opposition’s by Mersham. well done to both, and to the rest of the team for their performances.

Next up for Invicta is a trip to neighbours Hawkinge Town in the Kent FA Women’s Plate on Sunday 15th September (kick off 1pm) with the next home game on Sunday 29th when we host Sellindge Ladies in the SECWFL.

You can keep up to date with all the latest fixtures for our women here.