Let’s be totally honest, if an Invicta side who have been punching above their weight this season were entitled to a comparatively off night by their own high standards it could hardly have come in more acceptable circumstances than this.
Folkestone were the better side by some distance for the vast majority of the first 45 minutes of this low-key League Cup tie,.
And when the consistently outstanding Ade Yusiuff burst clear and cut into the box only to be pulled down by Cops’ play-acting keeper and acting captain Luke Williams five minutes short of the interval referee Ricky Adams pointed immediately to the penalty spot.
But while home fans got ready to see their side go ahead Mr Adams over-ruled his own initial instincts and awarded a free-kick for offside on the word of his poorly placed assistant on the far side of the pitch..
If that wasn’t to prove a major turning point in this relatively low priority tie, whatever was?
Adding insult to non-penalty, the until then largely unadventurous visitors won a corner from which Jamie Autorino gave them an unlikely 42nd minute lead.
Innocuous
That seemed to matter little when visiting number nine Jonathan Nurse turned a fairly innocuous ball into his own net under very little pressure, putting Folkestone level inside the first three minutes of the start of the second half.
This was hardly the end of the world, but a couple changes off the bench failed to get the home side running any better. And it was perhaps no big surprise when old rival from Worthing Zack Newton – signed by the Surrey outfit only last week – snatched the final word to give the so-called Police a place in round three.
After seven successive league wins this was disappointing, but with no game this weekend Invicta now have time to get themselves up and running nearer their best before taking on Enfield Town in the Bostik Premier Division next Tuesday (November 28).
Folkestone: Roberts; Vincent, Davies, Newman, Blanks (Taylor 60); Dolan (Wright 50). Heard, Hasler, McCann; Yusuff, Draycott
Subs not used: Everitt, Madden, Cooper
Attendance: 141