Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley was delighted to see his side bounce back from an opening day defeat and praised Dane Luchford for his four-goal haul.

Luchford joined an exclusive band of Folkestone strikers to score four goals in a game as Cugley’s men started their Ryman League, Division 1 South home campaign in style with a 5-0 win over Sittingbourne on Tuesday night.

The young striker played for nothing last season after joining the club from Whitstable in January but is now on a ‘pay as you play’ deal at the club.

Boss Cugley said: “He has done well, worked hard in pre-season and responded well to the competition for places among the strikers.

“The last one was the best of his four, curling the ball into the top corner but he also made the fifth as well.”

Cugley was pleased to see his side bounce back quickly following the 3-2 defeat at Crawley Down on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Roddy Hayward looks to set to keep his place against Walton Casuals on Saturday, following his late call-up against Sittingbourne in midweek, after new signing Rob French pulled out with tonsillitis.

Cugley added: “Roddy came in and did well. He made one important save in the first 10 minutes, if that had gone in, it could have been a different story."