A hat-trick from Darren Smith took Folkestone Invicta to the top of the Ryman League Division One South table as Neil Cugley's side maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a sixth straight win in all competitions.

A fourth successive clean sheet and a sixth in seven matches so far this season is a credit to goalkeeper Jack Delo and the defence of Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend and Frankie Chappell.

But after a run of 1-0 victories, it will be the goals scored that will have pleased the home side at the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday.

Manager Cugley re-jigged his line up despite a winning start to the season as Michael Yianni partnered David Cory in attack, with Smith pushed forward into a more advanced role and James Everitt dropping back into midfield.

Cory had been a surprise inclusion after he had been strongly linked with a move to Ramsgate.

James Everitt was himself soon replaced through injury as teenager Billy Somerville got an early chance.

Six different players had scored Invicta's previous six goals during August, but this was to be Smith's afternoon.

It was SMITH who opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 16 th minute when he was brought down by defender Steve Metcalf after combining with Yianni.

It was 2-0 in the 31 st minute when SMITH rounded off a good move with a well-taken shot to meet Cory's ball in from the right after a ball forward from Vincent.

SMITH had to wait right until the end of more than seven minutes of stoppage time to complete his hat-trick when he was there to put the ball over the line after captain Micheal Everitt had met a Jimmy Jackson free kick at the far post to send the ball goalwards.

There had been a long delay as visiting goalkeeper Simon Lockwood was carried off on a stretcher following a collision with Invicta substitute James Dryden.

Cory's decision to stay will have given Invicta a boost and the striker volleyed wide when Vincent played the ball in from the right after 20 minutes.

At the other end, a Mike Huckett shot flashed wide of the far post when Metcalf played the ball into the box on the half hour mark.

But Smith's second goal put the home side firmly in control.

Delo came out to get to a Steve Sargent ball before striker Paul Elliott in the middle of the penalty area after 34 minutes.

Invicta were close again in the 44 th minute when Micheal Everitt and Cory combined to put Chappell through but the defender's shot lacked power.

YMCA substitute Neil Watty tried his luck from distance during first half stoppage time after a Huckett ball but Delo was there to save.

The visitors' best moments came during the second half as they began to get back into the game.

Tom Manton did well down the left hand side in the 50 th minute as he went past both Vincent and Chappell but played the ball back behind Huckett and centre half Tom Graves headed over from Mark Pulling's ball in from the right.

Huckett then headed wide two minutes later when the ball came in from the right hand side.

It was Huckett involved again as he met Sargent's 57 th minute cross from the right and Sargent himself then shot over from outside the penalty area when the ball came back out.

Metcalf headed over at the far post after a 65 th minute corner on the right and a good Sargent strike from outside the area a minute later was well dealt with by Delo.

Delo came out to make another important save in the 68 th minute to deny Elliott after a ball over the Invicta defence put the striker in behind Chappell.

Invicta brought on Dryden as a second half substitute as he briefly partnered summer signing Cory in attack for the first time.

Dryden was soon involved in a collision with Lockwood which resulted in the goalkeeper having to be carried off.

Delo touched over from Tom Lawley in the 84 th minute after good play from Elliott down the right.

Invicta defender Friend made a good stoppage time tackle on Lawley when Metcalf played the ball forward and Lawley then sidefooted a shot over the bar following a bal from Metcalf.

But it was Invicta who struck again as Smith completed his hat-trick.

The visitors won the corner count 7-1, but it was the goals scored column that makes happy reading for Invicta who are currently enjoying something of a feelgood factor after a turbulent summer.

There were bookings for Invicta substitute Jon Driscoll and for the visitors' Pulling.

FOLKESTONE INVICTA : Delo, Vincent, Burchell, Friend, Chappell, M. Everitt, Smith, Yianni (Dryden 68 mins), J. Everitt (Somerville 17 mins), Cory (Driscoll 86 mins), Jackson. Unused subs : Dickson, Dix.

HORSHAM YMCA : Lockwood (Simpson 77 mins), Pulling, Metcalf, Sargent, Graves, Cooney, Lawley, Huckett (Gedling 83 mins), Elliott, Manton, Sadough (Watty 38 mins). Unused subs : Flack, Virgo.

Attendance : 257.

**Live updates were available for this match via the Official Folkestone Invicta page on Twitter. This can be found at www.twitter.com/fifc or on the homepage of this site.**