A huge Kent derby awaits at the Megger Community Stadium as Dover Athletic welcome Folkestone Invicta in the Emirates FA Cup Second Qualifying Round. The Whites head into the tie in good form following back-to-back 1-0 away victories and consecutive clean sheets, while Folkestone make the short trip to Crabble looking to respond after defeat to Farnham Town last weekend. With local pride, a place in the next round and plenty of recent history between the two sides at stake, a big crowd is expected for what promises to be a lively afternoon at Crabble.
Dover Athletic
Dover Athletic secured all three points at Farnborough with a hard-fought 1-0 victory, Jack Bates’ superb first-half solo goal proving the difference. The Whites started brightly and threatened through Bates and Baptiste before Farnborough almost gifted Dover the lead when goalkeeper Thomas’ clearance struck Ehmer and rolled dangerously towards goal. The breakthrough arrived on 37 minutes. Bates pounced on a misplaced pass inside the Dover half before driving almost the length of the pitch, holding off the recovering challenge and calmly slotting home. Farnborough responded strongly after the interval and Dover were forced to defend under sustained pressure. Baptiste cleared Ehmer’s effort off the line before Walker produced an important save, while the hosts also struck the crossbar following another dangerous corner. Dover introduced Soares-Junior and new signing Sak Hassan on 57 minutes, with Hassan making his first appearance after his arrival was announced shortly before kick-off. He later delivered a dangerous corner that Sheriff fired over. Farnborough continued to push for an equaliser, but Dover remained disciplined, with Walker commanding his area late on. Fish replaced Sheriff during four added minutes as the Whites successfully saw out the closing stages to secure victory and a valuable clean sheet on the road.
From the Management
“We’ve been really unfortunate since I’ve been in with the draws we’ve had in the FA Cup. Who would have thought it? Folkestone, obviously. They had an amazing, unbelievable season last season. I’m good friends with Jay, I played with him, and they’ve got a really strong squad with some really good players. But what a great occasion. I’m really pleased it’s at home and it’s going to be a ding-dong affair, and hopefully we can come out on top. It’s a great tie and we’re going into it full of confidence off the back of two wins and two clean sheets. They lost today, so they’ll be looking to bounce back. I think it’ll be electric, like it was when we played them in the league last year early on in the season. It was a Tuesday night and I remember the game got delayed because of the amount of people coming in. I really hope it’ll be a full house, or getting up there. There’ll be a few new boys who haven’t experienced what Crabble can be like like that, so it’ll be a great occasion for them to realise what a big club this is. At least we’re the underdogs going into this one. Obviously, with Folkestone’s resources and what they’ve got, you’d think they’d be favourites. But we’re in a good place and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Folkestone Invicta
Folkestone Invicta suffered their first home defeat since January as Farnham Town claimed a 2-1 victory at Cheriton Road. The visitors took the lead after just six minutes when Owen Dean fired a superb long-range effort beyond Ted Collins and into the top corner. Collins then prevented Farnham from extending their advantage with a double save from Darryl Sanders and Billy Clifford. Farnham remained on top for much of the first half and had a second goal ruled out shortly before the interval when Clifford finished into an empty net from Sam Evans’ cross, only for the offside flag to intervene. Invicta improved after the break, with Devonte West and Joe Pigott both going close before Donell Thomas was denied by goalkeeper Mike Eacott. Their pressure eventually paid off when Jamie Fielding’s cross found Pigott, who tapped home his fourth goal of the season to level midway through the half. However, Farnham struck the decisive blow six minutes from time. Fielding surrendered possession and Dean fed substitute Rakish Bingham, who powered his finish beyond Collins to secure all three points for the visitors.
Folkestone Invicta arrive in National League South following an outstanding 2025/26 campaign in which they won the Isthmian Premier Division with 96 points, suffering only four defeats and scoring more than 100 goals. Jay Saunders has retained much of the title-winning squad while making a number of experienced additions. Captain Kevin Lokko remains at the heart of the defence alongside Liam Smith, while Jamie Fielding and Dan Quick provide further Step Two experience. Ben Mason also returns after scoring nine times from wing-back last season. In midfield, Alex Woodyard has joined permanently after a successful loan spell, with Adam Lovatt and Donell Thomas also remaining. Reggie Young and Alejandro Machado offer further options following summer moves. The most significant change comes in attack, where leading scorer Jake Hutchinson has departed after scoring 24 times last season. John Akinde and Aaron Cosgrave have arrived to compensate, with Joe Pigott another established option. With Saunders already familiar with National League South and much of last season’s squad intact, Invicta begin life at Step Two with a settled core supplemented by players experienced at this level and above.
Last Time
The last meeting between Folkestone Invicta and Dover Athletic came at Cheriton Road in November 2024, when Luke Baptiste’s second-half goal secured a 1–0 victory for Dover in the Isthmian Premier Division. The opening stages were tightly contested, with both sides battling for control in midfield and clear chances limited. Folkestone posed their greatest threat from set-pieces, while Dover came closest to opening the scoring when Baptiste’s lofted effort clipped the crossbar. The hosts began the second half positively and Mitch Walker was required to deny Tom Derry at his near post. The complexion of the contest then changed around the hour mark when Folkestone forward Daniel Smith was shown a red card following a challenge on Alfie Matthews. Dover made their numerical advantage count nine minutes later. A short-corner routine eventually reached George Nikaj, who created space on the edge of the area before delivering into the box. Baptiste met the cross and converted low into the bottom corner to give the visitors the lead. Folkestone continued to search for an equaliser despite being reduced to ten men. Dean Rance drilled an effort narrowly wide, while substitute Joe Turner also threatened during the closing stages. Walker remained alert as Invicta increased the pressure, making an important stoppage-time save to deny Turner from close range. Marvel Ekpiteta then sent a late volley narrowly off target. Dover held firm through the final moments to complete a 1–0 victory in front of 2,906 spectators, extending their winning league run to five matches.
The Venue
We look forward to welcoming Folkestone to the Megger Community Stadium. More information on getting to the ground can be found here: https://doverathletic.com/visit-crabble/
Megger Community Stadium. Crabble Athletic Ground, Lewisham Road, Dover, Kent, CT17 0JB.
Admission Prices
Adults: £18
Under 18s: £10
There will be no concession admission price for this fixture. All children, including those aged under 11, will require an Under 18 ticket.
Dover Athletic Supporters
Dover supporters will be able to pay at the turnstiles as normal on the day of the game.
With a larger-than-usual crowd expected, supporters are strongly advised to arrive early to help avoid congestion around the stadium and at the turnstiles ahead of kick-off.
There is also still availability in our VIP Lounge hospitality for the fixture. Full details can be found here: https://doverathletic.com/news/hospitality-folkestone-invicta/
Folkestone Invicta Supporters
The fixture will be segregated, with Folkestone Invicta receiving an allocation of 1,712 tickets, comprising 1,600 standing tickets and 112 seated tickets.
The away section will be all-ticket, meaning Folkestone supporters will not be able to pay at the turnstiles on the day.
Visiting supporters are therefore advised not to travel to the fixture without a ticket.
Information on ticketing for the visiting side has been communicated by Folkestone Invicta.
A full catering provision and bar will be available for away supporters inside the segregated section.