Folkestone Invicta joint-head coach Roland Edge explains decision to move summer addition Kane Penn to left-back

Folkestone joint-boss Roland Edge has explained their decision to move Kane Penn to left-back.

Summer arrival Penn, 25, joined Invicta as a midfielder from Isthmian Premier rivals Hastings and played in the heart of the pitch in their first two league matches.

He has since dropped back into defence, though, to good effect.

Edge, formerly a left-back at Gillingham himself, said: “Fair play to him.

“He didn’t want to come in as a left-back. But somebody got a knock and I think Kane’s a totally different player at left-back.

“He easily could have then said ‘I came here as a midfielder so I’m not playing there’ but, as long as he’s playing, he doesn’t mind.

“I feel he is getting stronger and stronger, playing there.”

But Invicta’s decision to opt to use Penn further back helped limit Makhosini Ryan-Khayne to just four competitive starts - being sent off for a second bookable offence at Margate in their FA Cup 2-2 draw in one of them earlier this month - before he left at the weekend.

“Ryan is a good lad,” said Edge.

“I think he’s a bit unfortunate because Kane has done so well at left-back and we also have Will Moses, who is developing all the time. We’re not a club that can afford to have three left-backs.

“But Ryan is unlucky and I think someone will get a good left-back.”

Another recent change to the Folkestone rearguard has seen on-loan Dagenham keeper Josh Strizovic fill the void left temporarily between the posts by Joe Coleman, who has been unavailable due to work commitments.

On 23-year-old Strizovic, Edge said: “He’s a nice and confident lad. We needed someone due to work commitments for Joe.

“I guess he doesn’t get much game-time at Dagenham, so there’s always some ring-rust, but overall, he has started well.”

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