The league is back firmly in the sights of the Fleet this Tuesday, as we host Folkestone Invicta for the Morrow Stadium’s first Kent derby of the season, writes Libby O’Connell.
Tuesday’s match is one of eight back-to-back league games the Fleet will play during October as they embark on catch-up for those missed at the beginning of the season.
Form guide
An FA Cup exit on Saturday at the hands of Sholing will need to be quickly banished from memory. Despite the Fleet taking the lead just 20 minutes in, the visitors made a comeback to celebrate a 2-1 victory.
Saturday’s squad saw seven changes from the game prior, but it was returning starter Daniel Ogunleye who scored his second goal in two games to put the hosts ahead. Harvey Walker’s impressive run provided him with his first assist of the season and although the Fleet had strong attempts for a second goal, they were denied by Sholing keeper Jack Turner. That failure to find the second was punished as Sholing responded with an equaliser and then the winner to take their place in the next round.
Despite the Fleet’s FA Cup journey ending, spirits remain high going into Tuesday with the National League South campaign boasting five games unbeaten.
Folkestone sit seven places above Ebbsfleet in the table in 14th, but with only a three-point gap, Tuesday could see that easily change.
Invicta exited the FA Cup a stage earlier than the Fleet after a 4-2 defeat to Dover and, after a good start to the campaign, have now gone five matches without a win. They have lost to Salisbury, Farnham Town and Torquay United during that poor run.
With no victory since the end of August and a week-and-a-half gap between games, it will be interesting to see how Folkestone’ five-match winless squad fare against Josh Wright’s five-unbeaten side.
Last time out
This season marks Folkestone’s first-ever campaign in the National League South after earning promotion from the Isthmian League Premier Division at the end of the 2025/26 season, finishing 12 points clear of the runners-up.
Their arrival in Step 2 football means the Fleet are yet to meet the visitors in a league setting, although they have faced Invicta in prior competitions. The most recent of these came in the Kent Senior Cup quarter-final in 2022, where the Fleet suffered a 3-1 defeat. The other three meetings – all at Stonebridge Road – came in the Kent Senior Cup and FA Cup with Fleet winning them all, including the Kent Senior Cup Final in 2000.
Fleet have also played the town’s previous club on many occasions – Folkestone Town, Folkestone & Shepway and Folkestone FC were all versions of the club who previously owned Invicta’s Cheriton Road ground but which went bust in 1990.
Who’s who?
It’ll certainly be friendly fire on Tuesday, as some old faces might be in the mix. Both Aaron Cosgrave (below) and Jamie Fielding now wear stripes, signing for Folkestone after their departures from the Fleet at the end of last season.
Maxx Manktelow might also feel some familiarity after spending a month on loan at Invicta last season, where he made four appearances and scored one goal.
Former Maidstone United striker Joe Pigott has definitely started the season well at Folkestone, with four league goals already this season. He signed for Invicta in September 2025, making him part of last season’s title-winning squad. The 32-year-old has spent his career at a range of clubs, including Ipswich Town, Portsmouth, AFC Wimbledon and, prior to Folkestone, Leyton Orient.
John Akinde is another name to note. The centre-forward signed for Folkestone ahead of this season after previously spending a season at Braintree, although he has yet to feature this campaign. The 37-year-old former Fleet FA Trophy winner and academy graduate has had a successful career across the EFL, playing for clubs including Bristol City, Portsmouth, Lincoln City, Barnet, Gillingham and Colchester United.
The manager
Jay Saunders took on the role of Folkestone manager in March 2025, after previously helming Tonbridge Angels, where he was appointed in May 2022.
He led Folkestone to promotion in his very first season, following on from spells with Margate and Maidstone, two clubs he previously played for. At Maidstone, he took them to successive promotions into the National League, the latter being achieved thanks to a penalties win over the Fleet at Stonebridge Road back in 2016.
Saunders is another one who has represented both club, having made 86 appearances for the Fleet across two spells in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The referee
Fabio Roque, an Essex FA referee, was promoted to this level during the summer. This will be his second Fleet game having taken charge of our win over Ashford Town (Middlesex) in last season’s FA Cup.
