Joint-head coach Roland Edge was thrilled to see Folkestone earn their first away league points since he took charge alongside Micheal Everitt.

The pair replaced long-serving manager Neil Cugley in October and ended a run of six successive away Isthmian Premier losses on Boxing Day with a 2-1 derby triumph at Herne Bay.

It leaves them 13th in the league, seven points adrift of the play-off places, with their only other away success coming in an FA Trophy shoot-out triumph over Beaconsfield Town.

Edge joked: “Oh, no one tells us!

“No, it’s good. Strangely enough, some of our better performances have actually been away from home.

“We have come away, losing 3-0 and people say ‘You must have got battered, that’s no good’. But you think ‘Well, we have actually played all right’.

• Report: Herne Bay 1-2 Folkestone

“Today wasn’t one of our better away performances but we got the job done. That’s what football is all about.

“No one remembers how well you played if you don’t get points and don’t remember how badly you played if you get the points.

“We were happy to come away, stay hard to beat and, finally, get the three points.”

Winger Mason Saunders-Henry put Bay ahead in the first half before Invicta's top scorer Ade Yusuff equalised with a penalty for his 22nd goal this season.

Striker Ibrahim Olutade put Invicta in front after the restart. A whole host more calls then went against Kevin Watson’s strugglers in the second period, with skipper Laurence Harvey having a dramatic late equaliser ruled out, but the visitors just about clung on.

“I thought it was a really scrappy game,” reflected 44-year-old Edge.

“I thought Herne Bay were all right, they looked well organised, they had a game-plan, and caused us a few problems. I don’t think we started very well but, luckily for us, I thought the new keeper [Patrik Ohman] came in and kept us in the game.

“We got one opportunity - and it was a penalty - it’s unlucky for them, down the bottom fighting, and they did well. But it was definitely a penalty and Ade scored it.

“Then from that point onwards, I thought we were in control.”

Edge also discussed the recent changes in their goalkeeping department.

Bailey Vose has left due to work and travel commitments. Ex-Margate, Ashford and Faversham man Patrik Ohman made his debut in his place at Winch’s Field but went off injured in the second half, leaving former youth-team keeper Joe Coleman to finish the game between the sticks.

Edge said: “Bailey left. He found it a bit easier to be playing around where he lives, it [the travelling] had become a little bit too hard.

“Patrik came in and trained the other day and I’m really pleased with him. He was off the line, nice and quick like a modern goalkeeper, which made them make decisions to go wide.

“If you stay on your line, it could have been 3-1. I was really happy with his performance.

“It was a strange one when he had to come off. I just think - if anyone else gets clattered anywhere on the pitch - it’s a yellow card. I don’t promote yellow cards and people getting sent off but God - he has smashed him on the hip.

“Luckily for us, we have got a young lad on the bench that we know is decent because he’s been with us in a successful youth-team.

“He came in there and I thought he did well.”

Invicta will host Margate - who have parted company with first-team boss Andy Drury after a Boxing Day defeat - in their first 2023 game on Monday, January 2.