Margate 0 Folkestone Invicta 2 match report: First-half brace by striker Dave Smith sees Invicta complete Isthmian Premier double over Gate through manager Andy Drury’s first competitive win

Two first-half goals from Folkestone forward Dave Smith helped them complete an Isthmian Premier double over Margate this season on New Year’s Day.

Both of Smith’s goals in their 2-0 triumph came inside five minutes, the first a penalty, as Invicta earned a first competitive win since Andy Drury took charge in November.

They are now outside the relegation zone and ahead of Gate - with a game in hand on them - after they ended a six-game losing streak. It also means Margate remain winless since boss Mark Stimson took charge last month.

Invicta winger Jordan Ababio enjoyed some early success against left-back Tyrone Sterling at Hartsdown Park in front of a crowd of 557.

He cut inside on 12 minutes, only to fail to hit the target.

But five minutes later, the visitors did go ahead from the spot as referee Kane Dempster adjudged stand-in Margate captain Harry Hudson to have fouled Ababio. Striker Smith found the bottom corner, despite goalkeeper Harry Seaden going the right way.

And it got even better for Folkestone and their fans midway through the first half when they doubled their advantage. Midfielder Scott Heard drifted right and delivered a sumptuous cross which Smith nodded home for his second of the afternoon and his seventh this term.

Looking for a response, Archie Johnson reached a right-wing delivery for Gate at the back post but he failed to make a proper connection on the ball and Invicta cleared.

Influential Margate playmaker Ben Greenhalgh then saw a long-range free-kick dip inches over back-pedalling keeper Joe Coleman’s crossbar in the 34th minute.

Smith came close to completing his hat-trick before half-time. His snapshot flashed wide of Seaden’s right-hand post while, at the other end, Sterling nodded