Chichester City content with point from opener against fancied Folkestone Invicta

City started Kieran Magee in goal, skipper Rob Hutchings at left back and Theo Bennetts on the other side, with Curtis Da Costa and Ben Pashley in the heart of the defence. Joe Moore began as holding midfielder behind Joe Clarke, Isaac Bello, Lloyd Rowlatt and Emmett Dunn with Billy Vigar centre forward.

Chi did the double over Invicta last season but the visitors are much fancied for promotion this campaign.

Chichester started brightly when a super Bello back-heel instigated an attack which led to an early corner that the Kent team cleared.

Magee was called into action at the Tennis Club end to deny No10 Josh Strouts before a wayward back pass by Pashley led to Magee blocking an effort from MoM Donnell Thomas.

Rowlatt fizzed one over the bar and Magee got out smartly to deny Jake Hutchinson. Bennetts was caught in the head on 14 and needed some treatment before Ronnie Dolan fouled Bello which led to a bit of handbags and yellow cards for Dolan and Clarke when the Folkestone No2 might have been shown a straight red.

Dunn had to have his wits about him to clear as Thomas played a slide-rule pass through the middle and Bello’s long throw was claimed easily enough by shot-stopper Ted Collins after nice play from Vigar.

Jay Saunders’ men put the ball in the net in the 26th minute but it was chalked off for offside before Hutchinson and Pashley went toe-to-toe and Magee gathered the final delivery.

Thomas tried his luck with a long-ranger that didn’t really trouble Magee who kept out Dean Rance’s fierce drive.

Chi contended with a long throw from Liam Smith and Hutchinson combined with Strouts only to crack one into the side-netting before referee Patrick Jolliffe brought the first half to a close.

Dunn headed away Smith’s throw on 46 minutes as the visitors pressed. Thomas set Hutchinson up for a strike he failed to get a decent connection on and Pashley repelled a lovely cross from Strouts four minutes into the second period.

Vigar’s run was ended by Folkestone skipper Kevin Lokko and Dunn hooked up with Hutchings for a delivery that got blocked by Smith.

The hosts won a corner on 53 that Rowlatt whipped over and Clarke had a powerful effort blocked before the away side won a corner which Jack Jebb delivered only for a header to smack the bar.

Hutchings was harshly booked for a ‘foul’ on Dolan and Jebb lobbed the ball into the danger area but Lokko’s tame effort caused Magee little worry.

Invicta took the lead as Thomas’s pile-driver was parried by the Chi custodian and the ball fell kindly for Hutchinson in the box to smash the opener home just before the hour.

Hutchings was poleaxed and the resulting set-piece spun out for a Chi throw in. Collins needlessly conceded a corner which Hutchings took and it found Moore whose shot led to another on the College Lane side – which Rowlatt played over a cluster of players and into the net for the leveller in the 68th minute.

Folkestone tried to buy a spot kick but were out of luck.

Rowlatt picked Vigar only for the striker to lose control before the away team ramped things up and Thomas forced the Lillywhites’ back line to hack the ball out for a throw which Magee punched clear.

A delicious pass from Vigar teed Bello up for an opportunity that Collins stopped impressively and neither side could find a winner.