Roland Edge is backing Folkestone’s current crop of players to lead them up the table - if they can cut out costly errors.

Invicta lost their first Isthmian Premier match under Edge and Micheal Everitt last Saturday, going down 3-0 at Haringey, and they have only four wins from 13 league fixtures.

But Edge, whose 17th-placed team lost 3-2 at Lewes on Tuesday, said: “We have definitely got a good side.

“You know you have a good side when you have a good bench.

"We have just had a minute or five minutes where we let ourselves down in games but, when you get punished for that, the opposition takes the points. But the boys are a good bunch.”

Against Haringey, Invicta, who challenged for promotion last season before narrowly missing out on a play-off place, never recovered after falling behind in the second minute.

Edge reflected: “We didn’t come out fast enough to be honest, and we were a little bit sloppy at the beginning.

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“After that, we got on the ball and made some good chances, we just didn’t really capitalise on them.

"That allows the opposition to defend, they don’t have to pass it about too much, they can just get it away. It was a disappointing game.”

Folkestone have been boosted by returns from injury for right-back Josh Vincent and frontman Ira Jackson, though.

Jackson, 25, came off the bench at Haringey while the long-serving Vincent was an unused substitute. At Lewes, Jackson started and Vincent was again an unused substitutes as goals from Robbie Dolan and Ian Draycott were not enough for Invicta.

“JV is honest,” said Edge. “If he says he’s ready, then he’s ready.”

Folkestone’s rivals, Herne Bay, saw Ben Smith stand down as their boss during their inaugural campaign at Step 3 last weekend.

“It’s never easy,” said Edge, who was former manager Neil Cugley’s assistant when they beat Bay 2-1 in August.

“It’s a bit like in the Football League - you go from League 2 and League 1 to the Championship and the Premier League and think ‘Woah, what’s this?’.

“The league below to Isthmian Premier is a big jump and you don’t get long. You find out whether the players are good enough four or five games in.

“I actually thought Herne Bay played well against us. But Ben has resigned on the back of results because it’s a results business, isn’t it?

“Hopefully me and Mev don’t have that same chat with Cugs!”

This Saturday, Invicta are finally back at home in the league as they host third-bottom Brightlingsea. It will be their first league game at Cheriton Road since September 24 - albeit they have played four cup ties in that period, including their 5-0 Velocity Cup win over Faversham last Tuesday.

Goals from defenders Ian Gayle, Nathan Green and Matt Newman, along with efforts by strikers Ade Yusuff and Ibrahim Olutade, saw Invicta to their victory over Faversham.

Edge is enjoying life at the helm alongside Everitt.

He said: “It’s really good working with Mev.

“We have known each other a long time, it’s not like we don’t know what each other wants. We both have the same goal - to get up that league.”

Folkestone are also at home to Aveley in the league on Tuesday.