Croydon Athletic 1-0 Folkestone Invicta - I suppose there's a fear of losing my job, says Cugley

Tuesday 02nd February 2010

CROYDON ATHLETIC 1-0 FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Mayfield Road

CONCERNED Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley says he still doesn’t know what the future lies for the troubled Kent club - three days before the club’s shareholders meeting at Cheriton Road.

Sources claim that Mark Jenner stood up at last week’s Ryman League member clubs meeting at Dartford and unveiled that the club has an unpaid £170,000 tax bill.

But speculation that the Ryman League Division One South leaders are on the verge of falling into administration are rife - but Cugley, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk following his side’s disappointing 1-0 defeat at Croydon Athletic, was none the wiser.

“I’ve heard so many rumours over the last fourteen-sixteen months,” said Cugley.

“We weren’t even going to be in the (Ryman) League, we were going to be, I think, in the Kent (County) League Division Two or something at one stage, so all credit to the players to achieve what they have done.

“Top tonight going into that meeting on Friday, all credit to them.

“Maybe, myself and all the players are looking for a club, you just don’t know do you? It might be en-block to one, see if we can make our own club somewhere!!!”

When asked if he feared losing his job, the long-serving Cugley replied, “I suppose there’s a fear! I’m not one to worry. I’d be a bit disappointed obviously but very proud that we’re top-of-the-table when it happens, so if it does happen, whether they get somebody else or something else happens, at least I can hold my head up and prove I’ve done a really good job.

“It’s been really hard, but they’ve been brilliant players and a big credit to the club.”

Croydon Athletic leapfrogged over Worthing into second place in the Ryman League Division One South table by winning a dull game against Cugley’s workmanlike side.

The hosts were reduced to ten-men in the 66th minute, when winger Tom Bolarinwa collected two yellow cards in a ten minute spell.

Croydon Athletic also picked up six of the eight yellow cards dished out by match referee Mr David Spain and can expect a fine from the Football Association over their conduct.

But they bagged the points when central defender, Jeremy Williams bundled home the only goal of a poor game eight minutes later to hand the big-spending hosts all three points.

Croydon Athletic were by far the more attacking side as Folkestone Invicta were more than happy just to soak up the pressure and laid a yellow brick wall in front off goalkeeper Jack Delo.

Croydon Athletic striker Gareth Williams (who was played in by Daniel Waldren) thought he had broken the deadlock, but he was adjudged to have been offside when he fired an angled shot across the keeper and into the far corner.

In what was a cagey game throughout, Croydon Athletic’s best chance arrived after 23 minutes, following their first corner of the game.

Rory Hill cut the ball back to Chris Piper, who then played the ball back to Hill and his far post cross was flicked across goal by Ben Lewis for striker Ben Godfrey to flick the ball over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

The Folkestone keeper wasn’t going to be troubled by a couple more weak efforts coming in at him.

Gareth Williams was released down the right and after twisting and turning his cross found its way to Bolarinwa, and his shot on the turn from 22-yards rolled into Delo’s arms.

Lewis’ last contribution to the game before hobbling off through injury was to hook Chris Bourne’s swung in free-kick into Delo’s arms from 12-yards.

Folkestone’s one and only shot on target finally arrived in the 42nd minute.

Right-wing back Josh Vincent picked the ball up and fired in a deflected drive from outside the penalty area, which was comfortably saved by an untroubled Nick Morgan.

The sparse crowd of just 137 - disappointing for a third-versus-top clash - hoped for much better during the second half.

Gareth Williams had a second goal ruled out for offside early in the second half, when he strayed too far forward following Joe Howe’s penetrating run and sliding pass, before firing the ball across Delo again to find the bottom far corner again.

But Croydon Athletic were always dangerous from Hill’s excellent dead-ball deliveries from the corner flag.

His floated corner from the right was met by a powerful header from substitute Daniel Sintim, which only just cleared the crossbar after the Folkestone defence failed to pick up the central defender (who is on-loan from full-time Blue Square South side Woking) from his late run into the penalty area.

Folkestone were left to rue not taking advantage of playing against ten-men.

Having been booked in the 56th minute, Bolarinwa felt he had won his side a penalty after going to ground too easily inside the Folkestone penalty area, but referee Mr Spain amazed the small home crowd by awarding the Kent side a free-kick.

This resulted in a 20-man coming together and after booking Jeremy Williams for dissent, Bolarinwa went for an early shower as it was his second yellow card too, for what Cugley claimed afterwards was for “diving.”

The hosts waited four minutes before throwing on 22-goal striker Gary Noel and winger Leslie Thompson, and the double substitution paid dividends as they scored the winner seven minutes later.

Hill cut a corner from the right to the edge off the penalty area, which was played into Jeremy Williams path, who sprayed the ball back to Hill with his right foot.

Hill whipped in an excellent low cross, and the Folkestone defence failed to clear the ball and quick-thinking Jeremy Williams, who had continued his run around the goalmouth melee, and bundled the ball over the line from a yard out.

Folkestone brought on Peter Williams and James Dryden (who appears way off his best now) for the final nine minutes of the game, but other than a few crosses, Morgan was untested and the Kent side suffered only their second league defeat in 23 games, their first defeat on their travels.

Cugley was disappointed in the manner his side lost such an important game.

“They’ve got a big squad and they’ve got players that they can bring on that are lively,” he said.

“I’m just disappointed with the goal because it came from the corner. Any team can score any time from a set-piece.

“It was the fact that we defended the corner. It came back out and we didn’t go and close the ball down. We should’ve stopped the delivery. If you stop the delivery the goals not there.

“It was a great ball in, I’m not moaning about that, but we should’ve got out there quicker to stop the ball going in and then we would’ve drawn nil-nil and got the draw that we deserved.”

Cugley was expecting more free-flowing football from Croydon Athletic. In the end the game disappointed.

“I think, to be fair, putting it politely, they got the ball forward very early, very quickly,” he said.

“I was a bit shocked, I thought they’d get the ball down a bit more, but I suppose the pressure’s telling on them a little bit and it meant they’ll be bashing it a little bit.

“I think we got into that a little bit more than we should’ve done.”

He added: “As a team we’re very difficult to play against because we just work so hard for each other and believe in ourselves so much.”

Cugley takes his side to Walton Casuals on Saturday and insists it’s business as usual on the pitch.

“Whatever happens on the Friday at the meeting it won’t effect my players on Saturday,” he said.

Croydon Athletic: Nick Morgan, Joe Howe, Chris Bourne, Daniel Waldren, Jeremy Williams, Ben Lewis (Daniel Sintim 33), Tom Bolarinwa, Chris Piper, Ben Godfrey (Gary Noel 67), Gareth Williams (Leslie Thompson 67), Rory Hill.

Subs: Charlie Sharman, Bentley Graham.

Goal: Jeremy Williams 74

Booked: Tom Bolarinwa 56, Ben Godfrey 62, Jeremy Williams 66, Gary Noel 72, Chris Bourne 78, Daniel Waldren 90

Sent off: Tom Bolarinwa 66

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Micheal Everitt, Darren Smith, Liam Dickson (Peter Williams 81) James Everitt, Simon Austin (James Dryden 81), Jimmy Jackson.

Subs: Lee Spiller, Olly Bartrum, Mick Dix.

Booked: James Everitt 51, Frankie Chappell 86

Attendance: 137

Referee: Mr David Spain (Westfields, east Sussex)

Assistants: Mr Daniel Machnik (Horley, Surrey) & Mr Shaun Farrar (Redhill, Surrey)