Dulwich Hamlet 0-1 Folkestone Invicta - Cugley: Dryden has agreed settlement and plays for free

Tuesday 02nd March 2010

DULWICH HAMLET 0-1 FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Champion Hill Stadium

FOLKESTONE INVICTA leapfrogged over Croydon Athletic to return to the top of the Ryman League Division One South table with their tenth 1-0 win of the season (in all competitions) tonight.

The versatile James Everitt - partnering Simon Austin in attack - scored his eighth goal of the season to settle the game on a poor, rutted playing surface at Champion Hill Stadium.

Dulwich Hamlet player-manager, Gavin Rose, made six changes to the side that were thumped 4-0 at Metropolitan Police in their last game, whilst his opposite number, Neil Cugley made it seventeen successive league games that he has started with the same eleven players.

Cugley, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, praised goalkeeper Jack Delo (who was hardly troubled tonight) and his defence for keeping their 16th clean sheet (in all competitions) tonight.

“I’m absolutely delighted how well our defence has done all year - and our goalie Jack - and all credit to them, they deserve any praise they get,” said Cugley.

“We’d like to score more goals, and like again today, we had a great chance when it was 1-0 to make it
2-0 to then maybe kick on. Then you can really put teams under pressure because they have to come to you and then you hopefully score more goals but that doesn’t matter, keep winning 1-0 we’ll be happy.”

Folkestone, playing their sixth successive away game, almost broke the deadlock inside the opening eight minutes when Darren Smith received a square pass from his skipper, Micheal Everitt, and stung the keeper’s fingers with a right-footed drive from 25-yards.

Dulwich Hamlet right-back Edward Dadzie escaped any punishment from North London based referee Mark Tweed for clattering into Jimmy Jackson, who twice needed treatment during the game but the classy midfielder battled on.

The resulting free-kick was expertly whipped in by Smith from the left touch-line and Dadzie applied the final touch as the ball bounced past his near post by inches.

The home side’s only first half chance saw striker Sol Pinnock burst forward before striking a left-footed 25-yard drive across Delo, but the ball flashed just past the foot of the far post.

But the winning goal arrived within the final minute of the first half - a rare thing nowadays for Cugley’s table-toppers.

Left wing-back, Josh Burchell has to take the credit for bursting into the Dulwich Hamlet penalty box before centering for the younger Everitt brother to smash the ball into the roof of the net from six-yards at the near post.

The south Londoners did try to pass the ball about on the ploughed field during the early parts of the second half but shots from Kevin James and Alim Sesay were off target.

Dulwich Hamlet’s debutant keeper, Jack Binks, on loan from Charlton Athletic, made comfortable saves from Josh Vincent and Austin before the Londoners squandered their best chance to equalise just past the hour mark.

Right-sided midfielder Rose floated in a cross towards the far post but Kalvin Morath-Gibbs wasn’t picked up as he ghosted in at the far post and the left-back glanced his header wide from six-yards when he really should have tested the Folkestone stopper.

The chance that Cugley was talking about was when his goalscorer was played in behind the Dulwich back four through the middle but he was thwarted by a fine block from Binks and central defender Justin Bowen - who was making his 100th appearance for the home side - managed to get back and make a fine tackle as Everitt was poised to fire the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.

Delo was finally called into action inside the final fifteen minutes, diving low to his right to prevent substitute Ellis Wilson-Joseph scoring from a low right-footed drive, but once again a Ryman League side couldn’t break the solid yellow brick wall.

Folkestone Invicta are now one point clear of Croydon Athletic - who now have two games in hand - now that the Ryman League have deducted the Kent club ten points for going into administration.

But the club’s off-the-field problems haven’t effected the players on the pitch as three defeats in 28 league games testifies.

When asked the secret, Cugley replied, “Team spirit, great worth ethic, great team spirit, just a great bunch of lads really to work for and work with.

“We’ve said before, we started last November, not this November, the one before and a lot of those lads got good experience there and I think it’s started to show. This time next year, hopefully, they’ll be even better.”

The Folkestone boss paid tribute to James Everitt, who is happy to wear the shirt and play in any position.

“He’s handy, obviously he’s played right-back for us, played midfield, plays up front but he’s starting to find his feet as a forward now,” said Cugley.

“He wants to play up front and if we can get a bit sharper again in the summer then I think he can be a 20-goal per season man.”

One of those, however, was sitting on the substitutes bench as an unused substitute goalkeeper.

Cugley paid tribute to James Dryden for his professionalism, despite suffering a long-term injury.

“He’s had a settlement with the club and to be fair to Jim he doesn’t have to even be here anymore,” explained the boss.

“He’s not paid anymore but still wants to be part of the club and that goes back to what we’re talking about with the team spirit.

“Who knows, at the end of the season, the last couple of games, he might get chosen as a forward but it’s just great to have him about.

“Everyone thinks it’s about money but he’s not getting paid at all now. He’s had his settlement sorted out and he still wants to be a part of the club.”

When asked whether Dryden will be playing for the club next season, Cugley replied, “I hope so. I’d really love him to be! It’s been such a disappointment not having a player like that.

“Our leading goalscorer has only got eight. Dryden would’ve had 20 by now!”

But Cugley still sees his side being overtaken by Croydon Athletic and having to settle for a play-off place.

He said: “I think Croydon will win it but we’ll just keep plugging away. We’ll just keep enjoying it. We’ve had a great season, I keep saying it, the players are great, we’re enjoying every minute for the last eighteen months, they’ve been a credit to me.”

Cugley, meanwhile, explained why he kept his five substitutes on the bench.

“We kept the same side out there. We didn’t make any subs as I felt the experience was needed tonight.”

Dulwich Hamlet: Jack Binks, Edward Dadzie, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs, Alim Sesay, Justin Bowen, Nicolas Plumain, Sol Pinnock, Gavin Rose (Osa Obamiwonyi 83), Roy Odiaki (Nyren Clunis 70), Junior Kadi, Kevin James (Ellis Wilson-Joseph 74).
Subs: Corriston Campbell, Haron Solomon.

Booked: Kevin James 56, Sol Pinnock 77

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Micheal Everitt, Darren Smith, Liam Dickson, James Everitt, Simon Austin, Jimmy Jackson.
Subs: Nu Phan Nguyen, Peter Williams, Lee Spiller, Roy Guiver, James Dryden.

Goal: James Everitt 45

Booked: Josh Burchell 16

Attendance: 161
Reference: Mr Mark Tweed (London N15)
Assistants: Mr Alasdair King (Deptford, London SE8) & Mr Ahcene Yahiaoui (West Ham, London)