Neil Cugley’s wonderfully over-achieving Invicta romped to their third successive 3-1 win in six days and 10 points out of 12 over the holiday period as they made hosts Margate look a very ordinary outfit at a very damp Hartsdown Park on New Year’s Day.

Surely home clubs with 3G pitches should have some sort of advantage out of sheer familiarity with their playing surface, but, give or take five or 10 minutes here and there, Folkestone were on top throughout this game despite falling behind after just 15 minutes.

Ian Draycott had gone close and the visitors created a couple more good chances before the Thanet side took the lead somewhat against the run of play on 15 minutes.

It looked ominous for Folkestone when keeper Tim Roberts was forced to produce two outstanding saves, and he had no chance when Jordan Chiedozie picked his spot from just outside the 18 yard box to give Steve Watt’s side the lead on 15 minutes.

But Invicta continued to make most of the running and were back on terms on 34 minutes as wingback Jordan Wright raced to chase a seemingly lost cause down the right and pulled a fine ball back across the area for in-form midfielder Scott Heard to curl a low shot beyond keeper James Russell.

That was no more than the visitors deserved and they maintained the pressure and went ahead four minutes before the break.

After forcing a string of corners, Sam Hasler fired drove over a low one that Kieron McCann bravely dived to head home past the hapless keeper.

Russell is apparently the Gate’s third choice goalkeeper, but that’s their problem and not ours.

The expected fight back from Margate just never materialised and it was pretty much game over when Micheal Everitt climb to head his side into a 3-1 lead just three minutes after the start of the second half.

Surely Margate would at least try to find some sort of comeback and their goalkeeper Roberts had to be at his a couple of times to avert danger.

But there was little or no response to disturb any of the many Invicta fans in a deceptively good crowd of 653 and victory was theirs.

This excellent win – Folkestone’s third in as many games as their county rivals in the Bostik Premier after completing the double over Tonbridge on Boxing Day – took Cugley’s men back up to third place in the table and they can go to leaders Dulwich Hamlet full of confidence this coming weekend.

Invicta: Roberts; Wright (Cooper 46), Davies, O’Mara, Blanks,  Heard, Hasler, Everitt (Dolan 71), McCann; Draycott, Yusuff.

Subs not used: Taylor, Shaw

Attendance: 653

Pictures supplied by Dave Shackle.