A SIDE which claims to be the only gay-friendly football club in Kent and south-east London has won its first piece of silverware.

Bexley Invicta FC, set up in January 2011, finished runners-up in the Bristol Challenge Cup on Sunday.

The club took two teams to the west country last weekend to battle it out with 12 sides from across the south of England.

Having powered their way to the final of the annual five-a-side competition, they were beaten 4-2 to hosts Bristol Panthers.

Club chairman Brian Silk said: "Taking home our first trophy is a fantastic achievement for the club. We were up against clubs who have been around a lot longer than us and this shows how far we've come in a little over two years.

“On our trip, we didn't just play football, but went out in Bristol for two nights running. “

"And we were able to return to Kent on Sunday to secure a hard-fought 3-3 draw with east London's gay-friendly team, Pheonix FC, in a league match."

Invicta, who compete in the Tuesday five-a-side league at Goals Bexleyheath, dedicated their participation in the tournament to Football vs Homophobia's 2013 month of action.

Next month sees Invicta travel to Lyon to take part in their first-ever international tournament.

Anyone interested in joining the club should e-mail information@bexleyinvictafc.com