Two goals five minutes a part in the final quarter hour gave Lewes victory in an evenly fought entertaining game at The Dripping Pan on a pleasant October afternoon.
The result took the Sussex side up four places in the table, to seventh, while Invicta dropped one spot to tenth.
Folkestone probably just shaded possession on a day when both goalkeepers shone. Rooks’ Lewis Carey produced fine saves to deny both Kieron McCann and Kane Rowland, and guessed right to save a 35th minute penalty from Ade Yusuff.
Yusuff himself had been clipped as he burst into the 18 box, and despite his poor run from the spot, few could deny him the chance following his match-winning performance at Bognor Regis in midweek.
Tim Roberts (pictured) , in the Folkestone goal, did well to push the first worthwhile effort of the match from one-tine Folkestone forward Luke Blewden over the bar and produced further good stops to keep the scoresheet blank until the final 20 minutes.
And it was against the run of play that Lewes burst forward and broke the deadlock through defender Tom Day on 75 minutes with substitute Dan Darybshire doubling their lead five minutes later.
This had been a game that Folkestone deserved something from as the Dripping Pan lived up to his reputation as one of the nicest venues on the non-league circuit though a lack of toilet facilities in the bar area is surprising, and the lack anything more than an on-line ‘programme’ disappointing for supporters.
Folkestone had lost defender Josh Vincent through an injury with just seven minutes on the clock prompting the again impress Finn O’Mara to switch from left to right of the back four with Alfie Paxman again asked to fill-in a full back which could give manager Neil Cugley cause for though ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Carshalton to the Fullicks Stadium in the Bostik Premier Division.
That match is the first of three in a row at home for Invicta being followed by a First Round tie in the Buildbase FA Trophy against old rivals next weekend and the visit of Sittingbourne in the second round of the Velocity Trophy (Bostik League Cup) on Tuesday, October 30th.
Invicta: Roberts; Vincent (Paxman), Newman, Davies, O’Mara; Dolan, Everitt (Draycott 83) , Hasler, McCann; Yusuff, Rowland (Ter Horst) 70
Subs not used: Madden, Shaw
Attendance: 708