Goals from Ian Gayle, Nathan Green, substitute Ian Draycott and Ade Yusuff on Bank Holiday Monday saw Folkestone take the derby day spoils against Margate.

Invicta took a second-minute lead through Gayle before Green doubled their advantage with a fine solo strike.

After the restart, the club's all-time leading scorer Draycott netted before top scorer Yusuff got in on the act to cap a miserable afternoon for manager-less Gate, who lost 4-0, amid a tough start to their time in temporary charge for Ben Greenhalgh and Reece Prestedge.

Folkestone broke the deadlock inside 70 seconds at Cheriton Road - and never looked back. Frontman Ira Jackson saw a 15th-second shot deflected wide and, from that Scott Heard corner, the ball found Gayle at the far post. He nodded into the bottom corner after some head tennis inside the penalty box.

The 11th minute saw the hosts threaten again, skipper Greenhalgh making a timely interception from Jackson’s right-wing cross before midfielder James Rogers failed to hit the target from distance for the team led by joint-head coaches Roland Edge and Micheal Everitt.

Gate’s fans were in good voice and they had the ball in the net, five minutes later, in front of a bumper crowd of 1,179.

Defender Harry Hudson sent an inviting right-wing delivery from returning midfielder Ade Cole past Invicta goalkeeper Joe Coleman but his celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag.

Greenhalgh was growing into the game and he cut off their right wing before he stabbed wide of Coleman’s right-hand post.

Invicta made an early substitution on the half-hour mark. Heard was cautioned by referee Kane Dempster as he made his way off, with Draycott coming on.

But eight minutes before the break, left-back Green put the home team 2-0 in front. He drove forward, beating several Margate players, before his low drive squirmed underneath away keeper Dan Jinadu for his sixth goal this season - all coming at home.

In the last seconds of the first period, things almost got even worse for the visitors. Good interplay between Green and Yusuff on the left allowed the latter to cut in and only Hudson’s clearance off the line prevented Invicta going further ahead.

Young Gillingham loanee Matty Macarthur was introduced for Marvin Herschel, on loan from Dartford, in a Gate half-time change.

Three minutes after the restart, Yusuff crossed for strike partner Ibrahim Olutade who - from yards out - failed to control, with the ball going inches wide.

But the result was put beyond doubt in the 54th minute when on-loan Margate midfielder Cameron Brodie looked to see the ball out. Green, though, managed to cross from the left for Draycott who was well placed to fire in goal number 149 for Folkestone.

It was hard to see a way back into the game for the well below-par visitors and, just before the hour mark, James Bessey-Saldanha walloped an effort miles over after he had found space.

Freddy Barton was booked for Margate on 63 minutes, becoming the seventh player in the book in a lively affair.

Two minutes later, Olutade was played through by Jackson. However his effort drifted agonisingly wide while the same man netted seconds later, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag.

Striker David Smith’s Cheriton Road return proved a forgettable one and he sent a Greenhalgh set-piece wide midway through the second period with a poor header.

Brodie had a shot eight minutes from time, which went narrowly wide of Coleman’s right-hand post.

Two minutes later, however, Yusuff got in on the act in typically emphatic fashion. He controlled well before he blasted his 23rd goal of the season into the roof of the net.

The result leaves Folkestone six points off the play-offs after starting 2023 in fine fashion while Gate are nine points worse off with a game in hand. But equally, they are only five points ahead of the drop.

Coleman, who came off the bench at Herne Bay, made his first senior start for the home side between the sticks in their only change, with Pat Ohman out with an injury sustained on Boxing Day.

Folkestone winger Kadell Daniel returned from an ankle problem to take a place on the bench.

Gate, meanwhile, welcomed back full-back Harrison Hatfull to their side - rejoining the club after a brief spell with rivals Herne Bay - in one of four changes. Cole also returned to the starting line-up from suspension.

The two teams had been yet to meet in the league this season.

They did, however, play a Velocity Cup tie in November at Hartsdown Park which the hosts won 1-0, with Cole and Robbie Dolan both sent off.

Folkestone Invicta: Coleman, Vincent, Green, Gayle, Davies, Rogers, Heard (Draycott 30mins), Ronnie Dolan, Olutade, Yusuff (Ayoola 85mins), Jackson (Daniel 73mins), Daniel. Subs not used: Newman, Robbie Dolan.

Margate: Jinadu, Hatfull (Kaiser 78mins), Brodie, Hudson, Cole, Smith, Bessey-Saldanha (Deslandes 78mins), Greenhalgh, Barton, Oke, Herschel (Macarthur 46mins). Subs not used: Sutcliffe, Procopi.

Referee: Kane Dempster.

Attendance: 1,179.