“We need to bounce back” said Invicta boss Neil Cugley after having had time to think about Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat by Harrow Borough.

“That was disappointing and we’ve got the back to the standard were playing in our eight game winning run if we’re serious about making the play-offs.

“Unusually for us we didn’t defend well and they took their chances. I’ve got to say that their keeper (Melvin Minter) was outstanding – that save he made from Sam Hasler’s free-kick was as good as any keeper has come up with against us this season and he made a couple more too.

“Had even one of those gone in it could have been a different story.”

Invicta have a chance to make amends though the visit of old rivals Worthing to the Fullicks Stadium tonight (Tuesday) will not be easy.

They are still, at this moment, bottom of the table after a troubled few months that stemmed primarily from problems with the 3G surface at their Woodside Road (Bibby Financial Services) Stadium.

The club has admitted that the surface there was uneven in places and they were hit with a ban by FIFA, no less, that meant the Rebels (apparently also the Mackerel Men) were forced to play their first seven games on the road, losing all seven, before arranging a groundshare deal at Bogor Regis Town’s Nyewood Lane, nearly 17 miles further down the West Sussex coast and a 40 minute journey on a good day.

After seven successive league defeats and a cup loss away to Dorking Wanderers, Worthing’s first glimmer of success came in a 2-2 home (albeit Bognor – draw with Staines Town on a Sunday – September 17th.

Player Manager Gary Elphick guided the team as joint boss with Jon Meeney for several years, including their 2015/16 campaign when they gained promotion alongside Invicta – Worthing doing it the long way, via the play-offs.

Back in the then Ryman Premier, the pair were still in control last season when The Rebels/MMs finished one place and one point better off than Folkestone.

But Meeney left the club at the end of 2016/17 and now appears to be working at the Eastbourne Borough Academy, leaving ex-Brighton defender Elphick and new assistant Matt Piper in charge at Woodside Road.

The problems of early season saw both leave with Elphick moving on to play for Burgess Hill Town.

Now in the hotseat is former Crystal Palace player Adam Hinshelwood, 33, who started this season in charge at Hastings United, and since his arrival Worthing’s form has improved significantly since their return to their own ground in October.

They enjoyed their first league win of the season when beating formidable Needham Market 2-0, following that with home victories over Dorking (3-1) and impressively beating Tonbridge 2-0 last weekend.

And the Rebels/MMs return from their last six league games 11 points out of 18, which, after our successive losses, is only a point worse than Folkestone’s tally over that period.

Our clubs have a great deal in common and have enjoyed some memorable tussles over many years. But it will be a very different Worthing side that Invicta face tomorrow night with only a couple of familiar faces in forward Harvey Sparks and centre-midfielder Darren Budd (also once of Bognor and Burgess Hill).

Top scorer is young converted midfielder Kieron Pamment whose previous clubs include Horsham, East Grinstead and Littlehampton.

His partner up front, Jimmy Wild (ex-Chichester City and, briefly, Bognor).

In goal is Brazilian-born ex-Whitehawk keeper Lucas Corvolan.

A delve into social media suggests that former stars like Will Hendon, Kane Wills and Lloyd Dawes have followed former assistant manager Meeney to National League South Eastbourne Borough, while another former favourite and prolific midfield goalscorer, Jamie Brotherton, is at Southern Division pacesetters Lewes along with ex-Invicta legend Frankie Chappell.

Johan Ter Horst is expected to have recovered from the minor knock he picked up at Dover that kept him out of the Folkestone squad at the weekend, and we’ll leave it to manager Cugley to sum up tomorrow night’s prospects.

Neil said: “This won’t easy. Obviously they’ve had all the problems with their 3G and a lot of changes both on and off the field.

“But I’m willing to bet that Worthing won’t finish bottom of the table. They are too big and too good a club for that.”