After Invicta’s FA Cup upset at Horsham last weekend, sights are now set on starting another cup run as we travel to face AFC Dunstable on Saturday in the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy.

The tie will be settled on the day. Should we finish level after 90 minutes, we will head straight to a penalty shootout.

Pitch Inspection

There will be a 9:30am pitch inspection ahead of the game. We will update supporters via our website and social media channels as soon as we have the result.

Isuzu FA Trophy stat pack

• 336 clubs from step one to step four are competing in this season’s Isuzu FA Trophy, which kicked off on Friday 22nd August with Margate beating Egham Town 2-0 in the Preliminary Round.
• 136 clubs have been eliminated, with 200 teams remaining including 88 teams across step three who enter the competition this weekend.
• Winners will take home £2,450, with the losers taking £625.
• The winners of this weekend’s ties will go into Monday’s first round draw, with ties due to be played on Saturday 25th October.
• Invicta’s longest FA Trophy run was to the 4th Round in 2021/22, beating Hendon, Faversham, Hartley Wintney and Uxbridge before defeat to Wrexham.
• Invicta have progressed beyond the 3rd Qualifying Round in three of the last four seasons.
• AFC Dunstable will be looking to match their best ever FA Trophy run on Saturday by reaching the first round, which they managed to achieve in the 2022/23 season.

Supporters’ Coach

Just one seat remains on our supporters’ coach for the trip to Bedfordshire. Click here to book your seat now.

Team News

Midfielder Brad Walledge signed on dual registration with Hythe Town this week as he looks for regular game time following his return from an operation.

Kit

Invicta will take to the pitch in black & amber on Saturday with our hosts in sky blue.

From The Manager

First-team manager Jay Saunders spoke ahead of Saturday’s tie:

“After a great win at Horsham, our full focus now is on AFC Dunstable and the FA Trophy. We go into the game in a good place having had a good start to the season and this is another great chance to give back to the club and the fans with a strong run in this competition.

“We’ve caused a couple of upsets this season, so on Saturday we have to make sure we don’t suffer one ourselves. We’ve prepared well in training and we’ve also done our homework on them so we are fully prepared.”

The Opposition

AFC Dunstable currently sit 14th in the Southern League Division One Central, with seven points from eight games so far.

The OD’s, a nickname taken from their former name Old Dunstablians, have beaten Isthmian North side Maldon & Tiptree and fellow Southern League outfit Enfield FC to reach the 3rd Qualifying Round.

Recent Form

30/08 – Milton Keynes Irish (H) – Lost 2-1
06/09 – Maldon & Tiptree (A) – Won 1-0 (FA Trophy)
13/09 – Beaconsfield Town (H) – Drew 1-1
19/09 – Enfield (A) – Won 3-1 (FA Trophy)
27/09 – Hitchin Town (A) – Lost 1-0
30/09 – Thame United (A) – Drew 2-2

Recent Meetings

Saturday will be the first ever meeting between Folkestone Invicta and AFC Dunstable.

The Manager

AFC Dunstable are led by joint managers John Oxley and James Townsend, who took over in the summer of 2023. Oxley has previously worked with Luton Town, while Townsend has experience with West Ham, Brentford as well as Luton. The pair took Dunstable to a third-place finish in their first season, before losing in the play-off semi-finals.

Follow Online

• • Matchday updates will be available via our X account @fifc.
  • Follow either our Instagram of Facebook accounts for updates from our stories.
  • Live score updates will also be available on Football Web Pages.

The Venue

Admission

Supporters can pay on the gate for this fixture.

• Adult: £10
• Concession: £5
• Under 18: £3
• Under 12: FREE