Andy Drury’s reign as Invicta manager ended with a win over struggling Bognor Regis Town on an eventful afternoon on the south coast.

The drama began just 15 minutes before kick off, the referee deciding he wasn’t happy with a potential kit clash between the hosts’ white how shirts and Invicta’s red & white striped away colours. Despite wearing the kits on our previous 2 visits to Nyewood Lane, Invicta were required to change to Bognor Regis’ maroon away shirts.

Invicta took to the field with a change of system, the manager opting to play with 3 central defenders. Joel-Michael Odeniran came into the defence, Miquel Scarlett and Nathan Green pushed forward as wingback with just Amadou Kassaraté and Jack Jebb available to play in the centre of midfield. With Ade Yusuff suffering from illness and Evans Kouassi with a back injury, Matthias Fanimo and Joe Turner flanked former Bognor hitman Dan Smith in attack.

Odeniran was into the action quickly, picking up a booking inside 5 minutes for a contentious foul on Bailey Smith, the first booking of 9 through the afternoon.

An error from Bognor Regis goalkeeper Ryan Hall gifted Turner the first shooting opportunity of the afternoon but the winger’s dipping half volley failed to drop under the crossbar.

Invicta took the lead in the 14th minute, Jack Jebb delivering an in-swinging corner from the left that evaded the gloves of Hall and found its way inside the far post.

Matthias Fanimo doubled Invicta’s lead, and his tally for the club, in the 27th minute after a driving run inside from Scarlett produced a foul on the right back. Fanimo bent the free kick out of the grasp of Hall and in off the far post.

Amadou Kassaraté created a chance for himself in the 35th minute after stealing the ball from Bognor’s Matt Burgess just inside the hosts’ half. The Invicta midfielder drove into the Bognor penalty area before shooting just wide of the near post, Bognor’s captain Calvin Davies earning himself a line in the referee’s notebook for his reaction to not being awarded a foul.

Bognor had something to shout about very soon after, Bailey Smith breaking on the right before cutting back to Jasper Mather who finished the chance to cut the deficit back to 2-1.

As Invicta pressed to restore a 2-goal lead before half time, Matthias Fanimo curler an effort just over the top corner and Dan Smith headed over from close range although the flag was up for offside.

10 minutes after the break, Invicta changed shape as Odeniran was replaced by left back Frankie Morgan, deployed in a role ahead of Nathan Green on the left flank and pushing Joe Turner inside.

Invicta were nearly gifted a third midway through the half after Hall failed to claim a high ball into the box, Evan Kouassi who had just replaced Fanimo managed to get a shot on goal but saw it cleared off the goal-line.

The hosts pushed for an equaliser to aid their survival bid, with Burgess and Tommy-Lee Higgs both shooting wide as we entered the final 15 minutes, the sun setting behind the end Bognor were attacking.

Invicta held the hosts at bay, but the drama wasn’t over as the referee issued his 8th and 9th bookings of the afternoon in the 96th minute after Henly and Bognor defender Chad Field appeared to have little more than a few heated words with each other. The referee issued a yellow card to each, Henly’s being his second of the afternoon which left Dan Kennedy to be thrown on for the final few seconds.

Invicta’s win wasn’t enough to lift them up the Isthmian Premier Division table, with all teams directly above picking up wins, but we now head into back-to-back home fixtures with Chichester City and Whitehawk set to visit the Alcaline Stadium this week.