What few neutrals there may have been in a crowd of 416 at the Fullicks Stadium must have loved this.
Five goals – three of them fine goals – a red card apiece in stoppage time at the end and a nice sunny afternoon for all to enjoy.
But it was Regents’ amiable supporters who travelled back to Essex in better spirits than home fans after their side deservedly took all three points against Invicta who are still really to get going in the Bostik Premier Division this season.
The neutrals – if there were any – must have wondered too which team is close to the top of the league and which was in the bottom three before kick-off. For the moment not too much changed there with Brightlingsea climbing to 19th on the back of this result while Folkestone, for the moment, remain are fifth, and still in the play-off places.
After a scrappy first 20 minutes Kieron McCann forced arguably the save of the game out of Regents’ James Bradbrook but play switched back upfield and four minutes later it was former Fleetwood Town midfielder Harvey Hood who punished a poor free-kick out of defence by Invicta to smash the ball past keeper Nick Shaw and open the scoring.
Hodd, who had played against Folkestone for Lowestoft at the Fullicks a couple of time, was at it again a minute before the break with another smart finish.
But there was still time for Invicta to pull a goal back in stoppage time when Ian Draycott forced the ball home from Ronnie Dolan’s corner.
Folkestone needed to improve after the interval, but they suffered a body blow when lively Bermudan winger Amar Lewis made it 3-1 to the visitors nine minutes into the second period.
And despite much huffing and puffing it was not before stoppage time that substitute Kane Rowland put a little more respectability on the final scoreline with arguably the goal of the game – a great finish from outside the 18 yard box that flew past keeper Bradbrook but too late to really matter.
Seven minutes stoppage included no further goals but red cards for both Invicta defender Josh Vincent and the impressive Hodd, both for second bookings from unimpressive referee
Peter Cruise.
Invicta: Shaw; Starkey (Rowland 70), Newman, Vincent, Davies, Evans, Draycott, Dolan (Paxman 45), Ter Horst, Yusuff, McCann
Subs not used: Aboagye, Everitt, Coleman
Attendance: 416
Referee: Peter Guise