Folkestone Invicta boss Jay Saunders heaps praise on unlikely hat-trick hero defender Kevin Lokko as he reflects on opening-day 5-1 National League South win against Walton & Hersham

Manager Jay Saunders said defender Kevin Lokko has been excellent since he arrived at Folkestone Invicta as he heaped praise on his “outstanding” skipper.

Lokko, 30, was the unlikely star as Saunders’ side began an inaugural National League South season with an opening-day 5-1 win against fellow newly-promoted club Walton & Hersham on Saturday.

He claimed a first-ever hat-trick of his senior career - netting in the early stages of either half - before he wrapped things up in stoppage time on another hot day.

Saunders revealed it was even the first time his new-look defence of summer signings Dan Quick and Jamie Fielding, alongside Lokko, had started together.

“He’s been excellent since he came to the club,” Saunders said on Lokko.

“I thought, today, he was brilliant. There are little things people won’t realise.

“It’s the first time that the back three have played together. We haven’t had everyone fit so it’s been frustrating from that side of things.

“You need your skipper, especially in the middle of those three, to step up - and I thought he was outstanding. Set-pieces was something we were big on in terms of somewhere where we could hurt them but he has to go and put it into the back of the net.

“I’m delighted for him. You can see how delighted he was. He’s had a busy summer with his new-born.

“We actually spoke about a week ago about how he was struggling with a lack of sleep and things like that. We have been trying to manage him but he leads by example.

“He fully deserved his goals.”

The margin of victory also represented a real statement in front of a crowd of 1,253 at Cheriton Road from last term’s title-winning Isthmian Premier outfit.

Saunders said: “If you had told me we’d get five at home, it’s unbelievable,