Folkestone Invicta have been promoted to the Ryman League Premier Division.

They clinched the Division 1 South championship with a crushing victory over Walton & Hersham on Good Friday in front of 1,545 at the Fullicks Stadium.

Top of the table since August and unbeaten in 2016, Neil Cugley’s side have been head and shoulders above the rest this season and they wrapped up the title with a 13th straight home win.

Invicta’s first-ever championship follows four years of heartbreak in the play-offs, including defeat in the last two finals - which were both played on home soil.

But those memories were finally banished when long-serving captain Liam Friend lifted the trophy to mark a first senior league title in Folkestone for more than 50 years.

Neil Cugley's side were unchanged from their 2-1 win at Worthing, which meant Carl Rook kept his place up front at the expense of Harry Smith.

The back-four of Josh Vincent, Frankie Chappell, Liam Friend and Nat Blanks started the game with almost 1,500 Invicta appearances between them although midfielder Micheal Everitt, a veteran of some 626 games for the club, had to settle for a place on the bench.

A scruffy start to the game saw Folkestone on the front foot but wasteful in possession at times.

Ian Draycott got a touch to Ronnie Dolan's inswinging corner from the left although goalkeeper Liam Beach clutched the ball at the second attempt.

A free-kick awarded for handball was played quickly to Scott Heard and his low effort got past Beach but was cleared off the line by Swans captain Dylan Casey.

Folkestone broke the deadlock on 18 minutes. Dolan curled another corner to the near post and there was Chappell to power a header into the net from close-range.

A second goal almost followed three minutes later. Phil Starkey's well-struck shot from outside the penalty area was creeping in until Beach dived low to his left to claw it round the post.

Heard has a great eye for a pass and one raking ball from central midfield freed Ashley Miller down the Invicta left. Miller cut inside, was tripped, and Draycott's firm free-kick from 20 yards forced a smart low save from Beach.

Moments later, Heard was at it again, finding Miller with another fine ball from deep. This time Miller crossed for Draycott and his glancing effort was carried behind by a deflection.

Walton & Hersham threatened sporadically and Olakunle Akinwande twice shot over from promising positions late in the first half, but Tim Roberts didn't have a save to make in the opening 45 minutes.

He was almost beaten a minute after the restart when Gareth Chendlik nodded a corner back across goal and experienced defender Gary MacDonald headed just over. He should have hit the target and the miss was quickly punished.

Starkey lifted the ball forward and Rook, all alone inside the box, slid the ball low past Beach to give the scoreline a more comfortable look.

Quick feet from Draycott created a shooting opportunity and his powerful drive was kept out of the top corner by Beach before a flowing Invicta move ended with Heard shooting wide.

Some wretched defending by Rokas Janilionis allowed Draycott to steal in for his 33rd goal of the season and he then sent a lob inches wide as Folkestone poured forward.

It was 4-0 just after the hour when Rook tapped in from a yard out after Miller had turned Starkey's superb through-ball across the face of goal.

At the other end, Roberts stayed alert to beat out a Michael Salako shot and Rook was then given a terrific ovation when Cugley withdrew him to give Smith a run-out.

Beach held Miller's low shot from distance and Draycott fired a free-kick almost out of the ground as Folkestone, with the game and the title now safely in the bag, coasted through the closing stages.

Draycott tapped into an empty net after Beach had pushed out Miller's low shot from the edge of the box and Smith then scored with a superb lob to make it 6-0 five minutes from time.

Clean through in the last minute, Draycott should have completed his hat-trick but rattled the top of the post and he was denied again by a brilliant Beach save in the dying seconds.

Folkestone: Roberts, Vincent, Blanks, Friend, Chappell, Dolan, Starkey (Everitt 72mins), Heard (Wright 72mins), Draycott, Rook (H Smith 65mins), A Miller. Subs not used: Pilbeam, Newman.

Walton & Hersham: Beach, Newton, V Miller, MacDonald (K Smith 63mins), Janilionis, Casey, Akinwande, Guarilovas, Chendlik (Castello 63mins), M'Bengui (Sullivan 75mins), Salako. Subs not used: Leoches-Teixeira, Corbett.

Attendance: 1,545.