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Folkestone Invicta crashed to their heaviest defeat since joining the Ryman League when they went down 5-0 away to Harrow Borough at Earlsmead on Saturday afternoon, writes Richard Murrill.

Teenage substitute Jonathan Constant was the star of the day with a second half hat-trick as things went from bad to worse for Invicta after they had conceded two goals in the final five minutes of the first half.

Having won three games 1-0 in eight days, Invicta had hoped to have turned the corner after a slow start to the season, bit this result will have come as a bolt from the blue and set the alarm bells ringing again.

The Folkestone side had gone into the game without suspended centre half John Guest who had to sit out the game despite having his red card at Hampton overturned by the referee. With Kevin Watson not fully recovered from his thigh injury to come in as a straight replacement for Guest, the visitors reverted to a four-man defence.

An early injury to in-form defender Steve Norman was not to help Invicta’s cause on what turned  into a sorry afternoon.

On the plus side, Invicta welcomed back striker Paul Jones after four games out with a hamstring injury.

It had been an even opening to the game as striker James Dryden hit a free kick past the post for Invicta and goalkeeper Tony Kessell made saves from both Elliot Onochie and Daniel Blanchett at the other end.

Stuart Myall hit a fierce shot just over the crossbar for Invicta after 27 minutes following a corner and Jones shot against the top of the crossbar after 38 minutes.

Kessell saved from Victor Asombang and an Asombang cross then just eluded Onochie in a move started by James Bent.

It was Asombang who opened the scoring in the 42^nd minute when he found the net despite Kessell getting a hand to his shot as Ross Fitzsimon played the ball back in after his initial corner had been cleared.

Asombang soon had to leave the field with a leg injury and 17-year-old substitute Constant was to come on and make a name for himself.

Onochie was close with a header from a Fitzsimon free kick after the latter had himself been fouled from a Constant ball.

And Bent made it 2-0 during first half stoppage time when he converted a Constant cross after the youngster had broken down the right hand side and played the ball across.

Kessell was called into action again soon after the interval when Danny Leech combined with Constant.

And it was 3-0 in the 49^th minute when Constant was given on-side and ran through to score from a Marvin Neufville through ball which was dummied by Onochie.

Invicta replaced the injured Norman with substitute Joe Neilson, with captain Scott Lindsey dropping back to centre half.

But Constant struck again in the 55^th minute when Daniel Nielsen sent Onochie away to cross from the right.

Kessell temporarily denied Constant his hat-trick with a near post save and Fitzsimon shot past the post following a corner.

At the other end, Gary Ross got down to keep out a Dryden shot, the Harrow goalkeeper making his first appearance of the season in place of suspended regular Keita Karamoko.

Invicta gave a first senior outing to teenage substitute Ben Sly as a late replacement for Simon Glover.

Kessell did well to save from Leech following a Fitzsimon pass, but Constant completed the scoring after 81 minutes when he curled the ball in following good work from fellow substitute Howard Newton.

Paul Lamb shot over as Invicta sought a consolation goal, but substitute Daniel McGonigle was over for Harrow late on when Constant turned provider.

Invicta’s James Everitt was the game’s only booking after 49 minutes on an afternoon when elder brother Micheal was making his 150^th starting appearance for his hometown club.