Jay Saunders felt Folkestone’s defeat at Tonbridge hinged on two chances in the space of two minutes on Tuesday night.

Invicta lost 2-0 after a late double by substitute Frankie Baker, with his first goal coming just two minutes after Ben Mason failed to convert Folkestone’s best chance of the game at the other end.

“I thought it was a game that was quite cagey,” said Saunders. “If you look at it, I thought there were two real chances in the game.

“Ben Mason for us, we don't take it. They then break and it’s a great finish from their lad. But if you look at them two, other than that, there weren't loads of clear-cut chances.

“I thought the game lacked a little bit of quality, if I'm honest, in the final third for both teams. But they took their chance, fair play to them.”

Tonbridge added a second goal to wrap up the points with virtually the last kick of the game and Invicta pushing bodies forward in search of an equaliser.

Saunders added: “The second one I don't really look at because everyone went forward and they broke on us.”

Folkestone’s cause was not helped by losing defender Jamie Fielding to a hamstring injury in the first half.

Saunders refused to use that as an excuse but admitted the reshuffling of his side did not help.

“We're up against it at the moment defensively,” he added. “We've ended up going to a back four. Ben Mason at centre-half, he was a right-back, played all season for us as right-wing back and now he's having to play centre-half in a back four that's never played together.

“Reggie Young is a wing-back, left-winger, and he's having to play left-back. So at the moment, things are going that way.

“When I walk in the changing room, we’ve got Kevin Lokko, Dan Quick and Jamie Fielding stood there so it's tough for us at the moment defensively.

“Maybe the little moments at the end where they break and score that goal, for their first one, doesn't happen with some of them in the side.

“But that's the cards we've been dealt. Jamie had to go off with his hamstring and we've had to shuffle the pack.

“We end up with Bobby Kelman having to go right-wing. He's a centre-forward and we're a little bit out of shape.

“I thought for large parts it looked like a nil-nil, a cagey affair which lacked a little bit of quality.”

One area that Saunders couldn’t complain about was the endeavour shown by his players.

“I said I'm quite proud of them in there,” said Saunders. “With having to shuffle the pack that early and go how we did, I actually thought they had a real go for us.

“Defensively, I thought actually they defended well for 85 minutes.

“The flip side of that, Ben has that chance and if he tucks that away, then all of a sudden you're 1-0 up and it's a different game.

“But it's the way we go. We've had a couple of back-to-back wins and we fancied ourselves coming here and getting something. I don't want to make excuses.

“Fair play to Tonbridge on the night. But, for us, it's just tough when you keep having to shuffle things and ask people to play out of position.”