Neil Cugley has cooled talk of a run at the Ryman League Division 1 South play-off places as Folkestone Invicta start a daunting run of games against promotion chasers.

Manager Cugley’s side have taken 10 points from their last four games to sit 12th in the table, nine points outside the play-offs with games in hand on the sides above them.

Their run of derbies continues as they visit Faversham on Saturday, the first of three games in succession against top five sides.

After defeat at Hythe on Boxing Day, the postponement of Saturday’s game at Eastbourne and a home win over Whitstable on New Year’s Day, Cugley said: “I didn’t think we deserved to lose against Hythe but overall we are not really on a bad run.

“We have got some pretty tough games coming up but I am realistic about where we are. We’re probably a mid-table side but it was important to win on Tuesday because we didn’t want to lose and then start getting dragged down.”

Cugley (pictured) said: “We probably deserved it in the end. We were poor in the first half but the players responded in the second half.”

One player who could figure at Salters Lane is 17-year-old forward Johan Ter Horst, who impressed as a half-time introduction against Whitstable. However, Liam Dickson could miss a fortnight with a knee injury.