07 Apr 2026
St Albans City 1 Folkestone Invicta 2 (Isthmian League Premier Division)
From Jess Unwin at Clarence Park, photos by Jim Standen
They didn’t make it easy, even taking an early 1-0 lead, but Saints weren’t quite good enough in the end to hold back the tide against the visiting Seasiders, who fought back to clinch victory and their well-deserved crown as league champions.
Folkestone have been the standout team in the Premier Division this season and Saturday’s Clarence Park crowd of 2,314 comprised at least 400 of the Kent team’s supporters in noisy party mood, knowing their side needed just a point to confirm a first-place finish and automatic promotion.
Their confidence was dented a little as the expected storyline appeared to be going off script after just eight minutes when St Albans opened the scoring, thanks to a moment of impish creativity from Kieran Petrie.
Having charged into the Folkestone area only to find the way blocked, Petrie doggedly kept possession, held up the ball and then produced a clever back-heeled pass to the overlapping Lewis Page, who whipped in a cross to the near post.
Top scorer Leo Sery, back in the starting lineup after returning from injury, challenged for the ball with a defender and the ball ricocheted onto the post before bouncing into the path of Sam Smart, who gleefully smashed home from point blank range.
That was City’s first attack on goal and, encouraging as the earlier exchanges were, it was far too early for anyone to write off Folkestone. Saints saw plenty of the ball in the spell that followed their goal but there was a reminder of their opponents’ threat when goalkeeper Sam Donkin was forced to intervene by kicking clear a pass that had beaten the last defender.
And on the half hour, just a couple of minutes after losing the lively Smart to injury, Saints also lost their lead. Centre back Adrian Mariappa succeeded in blocking a shot only for the ball to fall to former Love Island contestant Montel Mckenzie. Donkin saved his shot with his legs, but Invicta’s Jake Hutchinson was on hand to snaffle up the rebound and make it 1-1.
Having probably edged the first half on points, Saints continued to test Folkestone after the break, including an opportunity for Jasper Mather, whose delay in ‘pulling the trigger’ once through on goal on the edge of the penalty area gave a covering defender time to snuff out the danger.
The current finally began to flow in Invicta’s favour on the hour when Jack James gave away a free kick on the visitors’ left wing for pulling Joe Piggot. Donnell Thomas stepped up to send a curving cross deep into the City penalty area and Donkin came out to intercept but was emphatically beaten to the ball by a towering header from Folkestone’s impressive skipper Kevin Lokko. 2-1 and jubilation among the travelling Invicta supporters.
Riding a wave of renewed confidence, Folkestone enjoyed their best period in the game, yet City didn’t lie down. Substitute Kieran Gauthier headed into the side netting from a corner before Alex Dyer almost levelled the scoring with a spectacular long-range effort that was only kept out by a brilliant save from Ted Collins. Folkestone held onto their lead and, at the final whistle, the celebrations, on and off the pitch, began.
Post-match, Saints boss Gary McCann congratulated Folkestone for “their fine achievement” before turning his attention to thoughts about his own team, who saw their remote
mathematical chance of making a promotion play-off spot finally extinguished with this defeat.
He told the club’s YouTube channel he thought his side had given a really good account of themselves in “a performance that warranted more”.
But he continued: “When you look at where we’re at, the result is fitting of where our season to date has been – nearly. Nearly good enough, nearly got over the line, nearly got
one in the goal at the end.”
And he added: “I’ve just said to the chaps in the changing room, and I can assure everyone, the supporters too: we will be better next year.”
He praised the club’s fans, who have continued to turn out in numbers at Clarence Park despite this season’s up and downs. “They’ve been fantastic and as a management team we now have to put together a team that is worthy of them because they’ve been brilliant.
“Next season, we want to be experiencing what Folkestone have experienced today. We’ve got to be more competitive and be in the race. Recruitment has already started and that’ll continue over the next few weeks to make us strong and better.”
- Next up for St Albans City is a home match against Aveley, who are strongly placed to secure a promotion play-off spot after being were relegated from the National League South alongside Saints last season. The reverse fixture, back in September, ended in a 1-1 draw. Kick-off at Clarence Park is 3pm.
