Outstanding midfielder Kieron McCann produced another electrifying performance as Folkestone won a lively game of attacking football to beat the promoted Casuals on a good playing surface at the King George’s Arena on Tuesday night.

McCann struck the first of his two goals within seconds of kick-off when he smashed the ball past keeper Martin Grant from a short cross in from the left by Johan Ter Horst.

With first choice goalie Danny Bracken out with a broken leg following a pre-season game a few weeks ago and with second in line Mo Maan also hurt during their 5-2 defeat at Margate on Saturday, Casuals had been forced to look for back-up with one-time Chipstead keeper Grant coming in for his debut on a short-term arrangement from Division One South Phoenix Rovers.

Grant and his team-mates were left somewhat shell-shocked by McCann’s first minute strike and Folkestone were flying when Ter Horst forced the ball into the net to double the visitors’ lead after 13 minutes but this was shaping up to be a very open, attacking game and Casuals’ Antonio Hamilton pounced on a defensive lapse to open their account barely two minutes later.

It was a night when the exciting McCann was on fire, and he smashed a terrific effort against the bar as Folkestone – looking full of goals – regained their momentum with only Grant’s heroics saving them from another comprehensive defeat.

Thanks largely to the goalkeeper it was not until 17 minutes from the end that Invicta were able to make the points virtually safe when matchwinner McCann crashed in his third goal in two games to leave the home side at last looking beaten.

That came after Ter Horst had his close-range effort disallowed for offside.

The home team hardly helped their cause when unimpressive referee Graham Ions sent off Gil Carvalho for a second yellow card nine minutes from the end of normal time.

With last season’s top scorer Ade Yusuff injured at the weekend and defender Josh Vincent also missing, Kane Rowland kept his place in the side with Ter Horst replacing Ian Draycott from Saturday’s eleven.

The course of the game was such that Folkestone were never quite comfortable enough to throw young striker Alfie Paxman into the mix though Micheal Everitt did replace Jack Evans in the closing stages.

Only two late goals had spared Casuals from a 5-0 whitewash at Margate on Saturday, and they are clearly struggling to find their feet in the Premier Division, but this was an enjoyable evening for the perhaps 50 Invicta fans in a good-natured crowd of 226.

Folkestone Invicta: Roberts; Aboagye, Blanks, Evans (Eveitt), Davies, Newman, Hasler, Dolan, Ter Horst, Rowland, McCann

Subs not used: Draycott, Paxman, Shaw

Referee: Graham Ions

Attendance: 226