A goal in each half at the Fullicks Stadium gave below full strength Folkestone an unexpectedly comfortable win over a Staines side who had started the day four places higher in the Bostik Premier Division table.

Things were looking difficult for Invicta when strikers Ade Yusuff and Ian Draycott  both failed pre-match fitness tests and the home side went into the game with just Joe Taylor – in his first league game of the season following injury – up front.

But, driven forward by Jordan Wright and Sam Hasler from midfield, Folkestone were unlucky not to have gone ahead earlier than they did as Swans’ keeper Ashlee Jones blocked both a well-struck effort by Taylor and the follow up from  midfielder Scott Heard as he tried to convert the rebound.

Staines started the day above Folkestone in the table largely thanks to their prolific early season goalscoring form.

But they found Invicta’s number one Tim Roberts in top form in what was to become a Man of The Match performance as Invicta won against the odds.

With the home side making most of the running they deservedly took the lead on 21 minutes  when Wright’s excellent cross from the right was firmly headed home by Taylor.

Excellent on-loan defender Finn O’Mara hit the post as Neil Cugley’s Invicta side maintained their attacking momentum and were unlucky not to go in further ahead at the half-time break.

But keeper Roberts had to be at his best several times in the wsecond period to preserve Folkestone’s slender lead.

Wide man Max Worsfold always looked capable of engineering an equaliser for the visitors and while the home side never looked seriously troubled it was not until the last minute of normal time that crowd pleaser Kieron McCann burst forward on the left and fired across the hapless Jones to make the three points absolutely safe.

This excellent win takes Folkestone up to eighth in the table with a home Kent Senior Cup tie against Greenwich Borough to cope with before their second round FA Cup tie with Tooting next weekend.

Invicta: Roberts; Vincent, O’Mara, Everitt, Davies, Dolan, Hasler, Heard, Taylor, Wright, McCann. Subs: Kisitu, Madden, Blanks, Edge, Chalmers-Stevens.