There were mixed emotions for Folkestone manager Andy Drury after their weekend derby defeat at promotion-chasing Chatham.

While Drury was convinced Chats’ first-half opening goal should have been disallowed and disappointed a mistake led to their second, he took encouragement from how tight the Isthmian Premier game was with the second-placed side, looking ahead to next season.

On the 2-0 loss in front of a crowd of 1,807, Drury reflected: “There was nothing in the game, really.

“I just feel like they had a bit more quality in the middle and final thirds. They kept the ball a bit better than us.

“The first half was fairly even and their goal was clearly offside. Their player (Harvey Bradbury) is actually in the box and our defenders were on the 18-yard line. That’s really disappointing for me.

“If the line isn’t there, I can kind of accept it - but the line is there for him (the assistant referee)!

“The second half, we started well - but then we gave them a goal through an individual mistake.

“You cannot afford to give Chatham and Hornchurch, teams that are at the top of the table, goals because they won’t give you goals.

“But you cannot say they were much better than us.

“Saturday does show we’re not that far away.”

Drury is looking forward to Invicta’s next two home matches, taking on a resurgent Dulwich team this Saturday, having been due to host relegated Concord tonight.

“We have won our last four at home,” he recalled. “We will look to continue that over the next couple of games.

“We will see how many points we can get and where we can finish. Then, it’s about planning the pre-season for next year.”

Dulwich, relegated from National League South last term, are set to finish just outside the play-offs under former Maidstone manager Hakan Hayrettin and assistant Terry Harris.

They struggled to get going at the start of the season but have found their groove since and will be expected to battle it out at the top-end of Isthmian Premier in the 2024/25 campaign.

Drury said: “Hak is proven in the level above and I know Hak and Terry well.

“It will be a good test. They had to change their whole squad around in the summer.

“I’m sure they will be right up there next year. It will be a good test and it’s up to them (Folkestone’s players) to show they want to be here next year.”

Midfielder Cameron Brodie (calf) missed out on a Chatham comeback but defender Chris Sessegnon was fit enough to return, albeit as an unused substitute.

“Sess was fit enough to be on the bench,” explained Drury. “If we had to use him, we would have.

“We will be careful with him - we don’t want him to break down - but he should be fit now.”