As The Enclosed Ground soaks up the drenching of midweek, football returns with the welcoming of Folkestone Invicta for their first trip to this part of Sussex since late 2018.

We’d like to think there’ll be a few more gasps this time as that one finished 0-0, yet results since then between the two sides have shown there is very little between them.

The Hawks played another ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card last Saturday courtesy of another Charlie Lambert deflected effort to earn a point at Haringey, while Andy Drury’s men have had an 11-day break, now fresh from their battling 2-2 draw with Cray Wanderers.

The Opposition

Sat in 17th a soild 10 points away from relegation, there’s one eye placed in the rear as they look to move further away from danger. There’s been myriad changes over at Cheriton Road since Neil Cugley departure as manager, and this season was always going to be about stability after a few changes in the dugout.

Things look to be shuttling along nicely after a fine victory at Billericay Town raised a few eyebrows, as they slide along the coast in positive stead for Saturday’s trip to Sussex. Louis Collins returns to The Enclosed Ground after his brief spell at the club, though minutes have been a little harder to come by following his premature departure from Eastbourne Borough.

One to Watch | David Smith

He’s just rediscovering his form with two goals in as many games, the 24 year-old re-joined the club from Bromley during the summer of 2023.

He had originally joined the club in August 2020 having scored 23 goals for Ashford United during the curtailed 2019-20 season, and he started out as a youth team player at Maidstone United before joining Sittingbourne.

He moved on to Dover Athletic at the start of the 2018-19 season and had loan spells at Sevenoaks Town and Sittingbourne before joining Ashford during July 2019. Earning a move to Bromley after scoring 41 goals in 72 appearances for Invicta, subsequent loan spells with Hornchurch, Margate and Hastings United ensued ahead of his return.

Recent Form – LDLWD

23/1 | Canvey Island (A) | Lost 2-1

27/1 | Carshalton Athletic (H) | Drew 3-3

30/1 | Hornchurch (H) | Lost 2-0

3/2 | Billericay Town (A) | Won 2-1

6/2 | Cray Wanderers (H) | Drew 2-2

Previous Meetings

It was on a sunny Saturday in September that the two sides last locked horns. Charlie Walker slotted home from the penalty spot to open the scores, before David Smith hit back nine minutes later to earn a share of the spoils.

The meeting prior was the season before in the FA Trophy, also at Cheriton Road. Late drama saw the Hawks force the tie to a penalty shootout, but heartbreak it would be for the Sussex side settled in the division below.

The other encounters occured during the 2018/19 season, where Folkestone again claimed victory on their home soil by a 2-1 scoreline, with the reverse fixture at The Enclosed Ground ending in a scoreless draw.

How to Follow

If you can’t make it to The Enclosed Ground for tonight’s clash, then you can follow the action via our X (Twitter) channel, which can be found here.