Folkestone Invicta boss Jay Saunders reacts as comeback 2-1 win over Potters Bar Town moves side another step towards winning the Isthmian Premier title

Manager Jay Saunders insists his Folkestone players are still not talking about winning the league - with any title talk proving expensive for them!

The Isthmian Premier leaders came from behind through two goals from top scorer Jake Hutchinson in their 2-1 home win over Potters Bar on Saturday to move another stride towards being crowned champions.

Invicta need another 13 points from their final eight fixtures to win the league albeit, with a superior goal difference, another four more victories would almost certainly be enough.

But Saunders, whose side host play-off chasing Dartford in a derby next weekend, said: “We’re not nearly there. We haven’t won anything.

“I have got the boys on fines if they talk about winning the league and, if they talk about other teams, they’re fined! We have just got to concentrate on us.

“We’ll work really hard this week. There’s no nights off, we’ll be in on Tuesday and Thursday, and we’ll go through stuff on Dartford straight away. We know it’ll be a really tough Kent derby.

“I guess, to a degree, you do half have a hand on it. But until you actually have that trophy, you haven’t won anything.

“We have got to keep our heads down and keep doing what we’re doing.”

While Sammy Moore’s Potters Bar team sit second-bottom, they put in a plucky performance against Folkestone and went ahead as attacking midfielder Nana Kyei stunned the crowd of 1,259 at Cheriton Road.

But Hutchinson netted twice inside seven second-half minutes, making the most of a mistake by keeper Borja Loeches for his first, to send the home fans away happy.

Saunders reflected: “I don’t think there are going to be any easy games at this stage of the season and I keep saying that in any interviews.

“Potters Bar, if you look at their recent results, they have kind of been in most games.

“I thought we found a way and that’s what it is about at this stage of the season. There were a little bit of nerves in it at times.

“The crowd felt a little bit nervous and, in games like that, you probably need to score one or two goals early on and it changes. But we found a way.

“I felt the substitutes came on and sparked us, which is what you want.”

Invicta were quick to bring on Donell Thomas and Josh Strouts, returning from a loan spell at in-form Isthmian South East side Deal Town, after they fell behind.

It was the latter’s cross from the right flank that set up a second of the afternoon for Hutchinson.

“I had Donell down to come on and Stroutsy shortly after - but when the goal happened, I felt it was important we got the two on,” Saunders revealed. “I thought Stroutsy was outstanding.

“He had a frustrating spell where he couldn’t get in the side. We had a chat and I sort of said ‘You need to go somewhere and get some games under your belt.’.

“Kingy (Deal boss Steve King) and Deal have been fantastic with him. He probably didn’t get as many games as he would have liked - they had a few off and he picked up a niggle - but he really sparked us.

“He put in some great balls. I’m really delighted for him because he’s a good kid. Donell came on, as well, and had some nice touches and showed some brightness.

“It was a good reaction from us after going a goal down.”

While 23-year-old Hutchinson’s double moved him to 22 goals for the season, he had only netted four times since the turn of the year prior to his latest brace.

Saunders admitted: “Hutch has been frustrated lately.

“Things haven’t quite been falling for him. In forward areas, lately, we haven’t been at our best. But that’s what Hutch does.

“ He’s there or thereabouts when those balls come into the box. I think he’s now on 18 or 19 (league) goals. That’s not luck, that’s being in the right place at the right time, so I was really pleased with him.

“He’s a good lad that works really hard. Pigs (strike partner Joe Pigott) looked slightly back to himself.

“There’s still more to come from him after the illness that kept him out for a month but, as a pair, they have scored a lot of goals this season and you need that.”