It proved to be an explosive Bonfire Night at the Alcaline Stadium, a record home crowd of 2,906 packing the terraces at the Alcaline Stadium for the visit of Dover Athletic. The sides having last met in league fixtures 20 years ago, the first meeting between the sides in August had certainly not failed to live up to the wait and only served to whet the appetite for the return fixture.

With capacity limited to 3,000, a surge in online ticketing on matchday forced an early closure to ensure a limited number of supporters would still be able to pay on the turnstiles, but unfortunately many had to be turned away as demand to see the action surpassed the limits at Cheriton Road. Just over 700 travelling Dover supporters made the 6 and a half mile journey, the largest away support on record.

For the second time this season, the fixture would have to be delayed, kick off put back to 8pm. Supporters had been arriving at The Dugout from the moment it opened at 4pm, others queuing outside the turnstiles over an hour before they were due to open. The early queuers had made the right call, pay on the gate ending and a sellout declared a full 90 minutes before the action was due to kick off. The only previous records of a sellout crowd at Cheriton Road come during the 2020/21 season when COVID restrictions limited capacity to just 600 supporters.

Manager Andy Drury was dealt an early blow as winger Matthias Fanimo failed to recover from a knock picked up while warming up against Carshalton Athletic 3 days earlier, but captain Ian Gayle was deemed fit enough to return to the starting XI alongside Marvel Ekpiteta in defence, Frankie Morgan selected ahead of Jamie Mascoll at left back. Dean Rance returned the the midfield alongside Amadou Kassaraté and Jack Jebb, neither of which had featured in the trip to Crabble in August, while both goalscorers from that evening started in attack, Khale Da Costa joining Smith and Derry.

Dead on 20:00 the visitors finally kicked off the evening’s action, attacking an open terrace full of travelling supporters while Invicta supporters filled the other 3 sides of the stadium. A battled ensued in the opening minutes, Invicta’s opening gambit coming from a corner in the 5th minute as Dan Smith rose high at the near post to flick a header that evaded all teammates and defenders while Henly’s first action came on the 10 minute mark, a free kick from deep send into the 6 yard box and hooked high back across goal, the Invicta keeper pushing it to safety.

With emotions high and the atmosphere electric, unsurprisingly both sides saw players pulled aside by the referee for reactions to decisions in the opening 20 minutes. Dover goalkeeper Mitch Walker was called into action for the first time of the evening to collect a header from Ian Gayle, on target but not testing the experienced stopper.

Invicta were given a let off seconds later after an error at the back allowed Luke Baptiste the time to lift a bouncing ball over Jonny Henly, but only onto the top of the crossbar and into the travelling supporters behind.

Invicta’s first real chance came in the 29th minute, Henly delivering a free kick from his own half that was nodded down to Jebb to turn back into the penalty area, Derry flicked his header on, Da Costa turned the ball into the path of Marvel Ekpiteta who was unable to get a clean contact to test Walker who could collect the loose ball. Walker made a fine save from point blank range a few minutes later to deny a Dan Smith header from a Jebb free kick, but the flag was up for offside anyway.

Jebb’s free kick delivery would continue to cause problems, Ekpiteta the man on the end of another in the 35th minute as he rose in the middle of the penalty area to head a delivery from deep but headed wide.

The referee went into his pocket for the first time in the 39th minute to book Joe Tennent, Dan Smith skipped past George Wilkinson before being clattered by Dover’s no. 5 on the right wing. Jebb’s delivery again found Ekpiteta, this time at the back post, his header well saved by Walker.

Henly was tested for the first time in the 40th minute as the league’s top goalscorer got off his only shot of the evening, cutting in from the right but firing his effort straight at the Invicta keeper.

Invicta would see a couple of balls into the box end in free kicks to Dover in the final minutes of the half which was brought to a close after 90 seconds of added time. Hundreds of supporters from each end took off to swap ends in an orderly, clockwise directions as an under 9s side took penalties at the Cricket Ground End of the ground.

Invicta kicked off the second half and saw a first chance fall the way of Dan Smith within seconds, a bouncing ball falling to our top scorer on the edge of the penalty area, spinning to fire an effort that looped over the crossbar.

Baptiste was next into the book for a late, high foot on Gavin Hoyte as he beat the Dover no. 7 to a ball on the right flank.

Smith and Derry combined to test Walker for the first time in the second half, the forwards linking on the right with Derry fed in behind to force a low save from a tight angle. Smith was then on the end of the next chance a few moments later, a Da Costa cross from the left finding his head at the back post, Walker left scrambling to push away from the top corner.

A head injury to Marvel Ekpiteta about 10 minutes into the second half lead to a lengthy stoppage in play, the main talking of the evening coming within 30 seconds of play restarting. Dan Smith tracked his fullback on the right side before diving into a challenge as Alfie Matthews looked to nick the ball away from him. The Dover man went to ground despite minimal contact and after a short deliberation the referee went into his pocket for a red card, Smith sent for an early bath with 30 minutes to play.

Despite being a man light, Invicta continued to apply pressure to the visitors once we were back underway, but the game’s deciding moment would come at the wrong end of the pitch. A short corner from the visitors saw Nikaj collect the ball and turn his man to cut back to Baptiste, an effort the looked to have taken a deflection sneaking inside Henly’s post to give the visitors the lead with just over 20 minutes to play. Drury responded with the introduction of Joe Turner in place of Da Costa.

Invicta were now left with an uphill battle to take something from the match. A man light in attack, balls into the penalty area were defended well be the visitors. With little over 10 minutes remaining, Dean Rance took aim from distance but saw his effort head wide of the post.

Just as we struck the 90 minute mark, a cross from the left was nodded down by Kassaraté, Derry with his back to goal turned and struck the ball but couldn’t keeper his effort down. The board went up to signal 10 minutes of additional time, sending a roar around the ground.

The bandaged Ekipiteta and substitute Odeniran were now camped on the halfway line with all the action taking place inside the visitor’s half, aside from rare counter attacks. Balls into the Dover area were being cleared, Turner fired one ball across the face of goalie the 99th minute before delivering another in the 100th, the clearance bouncing to Ekpiteta who controlled it on his chest before firing narrowly over with a dipping strike.

With time having been played, Henly went forward as Invicta threw a deep free kick into the box, the goalkeeper ending up collecting the ball wide on the right but was unable to shake off a defender and deliver a cross.

With near 15 minutes of added time having been played the referee finally brought the evening’s drama to an end, the visitors avenging Invicta’s victory earlier in the season and settling the tally at 3 wins apiece between the sides. Invicta were left to lick their wounds, and lodge an appeal against Dan Smith’s 3-match ban which was upheld, allowing the forward to face his former sides Dulwich Hamlet and Bognor Regis Town later in the month.