Neil Cugley has called on the people of Folkestone to turnout on Saturday to help Invicta take a step towards Ryman League, Premier Division survival.

Play-off chasing Wingate & Finchley are the visitors to the Fullicks (3pm) with Invicta now just two points clear of the bottom four after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at strugglers AFC Sudbury and results going against them on Tuesday night.

Cugley said: “It’s frustrating because we felt we were so close to being safe a few weeks back but we have been dragged back into it again.

“This season was always going to be difficult and while you don’t like to say your only aim is to stay up, it was always going to be the case that we wanted to consolidate after coming up.

“We have a run of away games to come in the next few weeks so Saturday is an opportunity for us to put some points on the board and we need everyone to get behind us. This is the time to pull together, get a couple of wins and start looking forward to next season.”

Invicta visit third-bottom Leatherhead next week and Cugley said: “A couple of wins this week would go a long way to taking the pressure off.”

Cugley says Folkestone’s 3-0 defeat to a strong Dover side in the Kent Senior Cup semi-final at Crabble on Monday night will do them ‘the world of good’ as they seek to beat the drop.

Invicta took on a side featuring Ricky Miller, the hottest marksman in non-league football with 30 league goals – making him the highest scorer in any of the top five divisions – but managed to keep him scoreless.

They also came up against imposing former West Ham youngster Bondz N’Gala – a January target for Gillingham – and on-loan former Gills and Orient man Connor Essam at the back.

Moses Emmanuel opened the scoring, N’Gala headed the second after the break before ex-Blackpool and Shrewsbury man James Caton fired a late third.

Cugley said: “It was nice that they showed us that respect.

“Sometimes you want to play a team of youth players to give you the chance of getting to a final but it was probably better for us to play a strong team who were so sharp and physical. The players enjoyed the test.

“It’s done us the world of good. We’ve been a bit lethargic but it gave us a bit of a boost.

“The only shame was we gave away a poor goal – another one – just before half-time. I don’t think we’d have gone on to get anything, but going in at 0-0 would have been something.”

Sam Hasler is set to return after missing the Dover game, although Ronnie Dolan (ankle) remains out and Callum Davies is unavailable. Ashley Miller serves the last game of his two-game suspension.