Last season’s top scorer Joe Taylor grabbed two fine first half goals and had another ruled out by unimpressive referee Jack Owen as Folkestone could have been out of sight at the break but eventually reached the third round of the Kent Reliance on penalties at an increasingly more damp Fullicks Stadium on Tuesday.

Taylor put Invicta ahead on just four minutes when Kieron McCann knocked Jordan Wright’s fine cross back across goal giving the ex-Ramsgate man his third goal in as many games following his return from a pre-season injury.

Looking as good as he has done since re-signing for Folkestone 12 months ago, Taylor slid in on the end of arguably the best move of the game to turn the ball past Greenwich keeper Bridle-Card only to see his effort somehow ruled out for offside after 23 minutes.

After a great assist by out-of-luck strike partner Ian Draycott, Taylor nodded the home side further ahead on 39 minutes.

Draycott did everything but score in that first period, but looked sharper than up to this point in the season, though replaced by Ade Yusuff at the break,

Still smarting from their 3-2 FA Cup defeat against Invicta just 10 days ago, Borough came out of the blocks far faster after the break pulling a goal back through Francis Babaloa following good build-up play within minutes of the restart.

As Gary Alexander’s side maintained their momentum a harsh penalty converted by Jesse Darko put the Bostik One side level after Folkestone had wasted several golden chances at the other end.

Far more worrying for Invicta was the fact that the excellent Taylor was withdrawn with a possible recurrence of his pre-season injury and must be a serious doubt for Saturday’s Second Qualifying Round Emirates FA Cup against Tooting & Mitcham.

Almost inevitably this tie went down to penalties and successful efforts by subs Ade Yusuff and Matt Newman followed by conversions from Scott Heard and Kieron McCann left the previous week’s shoot-out winner Jordan Wright to do the same again as keeper Bridle-Card was left floundering.

Folkestone will have got two rounds of the county cup out of the way nice and early but they have far bigger fish to fry as they face promoted Southern Division champions Tooting & Mitcham  in the Emirates FA Cup at home on Saturday.

Folkestone Invicta: Roberts; Vincent, O’Mara, Blanks, Davies, Wright, Hasler (Kisitu 63), Heard, Draycott (Yusuff 45),Taylor (Newman 82), McCann