Folkestone Invicta 0-0 AFC Hornchurch - Cugley positive for last-day survival bid - EXCLUSIVE

Invicta climbed out of the Ryman Premier League drop zone - at Maidstone United’s expense - following their goal-less draw against fourth-placed AFC Hornchurch tonight.

Whoever loses on Saturday, meanwhile, will be condemned to relegation.

But Cugley remains upbeat that his side will maintain their Ryman Premier League status on the final day - for the second successive season.

AFC Hornchurch, a side that’s consolidated their place in the promotion play-off’s, looked lively throughout, especially down the left-hand side with Michael Brothers impressing.

The Essex side ran away from Tonbridge Angels with a point at the weekend, whilst Folkestone Invicta fought back from being 3-1 down after the hour-mark to win 5-4 at Hartsdown Park, with striker Leigh Bremner scoring four.

Thirteen-goal Bremner, however, was forced off the pitch after 66 minutes tonight, with a heel injury that he picked up during the first half, but Cugley insists the former Cray Wanderers striker will be fit for the relegation decider against the Stones.

Cugley was pleased with the point, despite the Urchins being the better side by far.

But it was Folkestone Invicta that created the game’s first chance, inside the opening nine minutes.

James Corbett’s pass was latched onto by Bremner, who was pushed wide on the right-hand side and after cutting the ball back to Watson, the right-wing back cut inside Danny Glozier, before unleashing a left-footed drive from 35-yards, which sailed just past the right-hand post.

Hornchurch’s response was immediate and Harry Elmes laid the ball into Glozier’s path on the left-hand side and his cross from the by-line was glanced wide by Brothers’, who had ghosted in at the far post.

Hornchurch’s right-sided midfielder Mark Janney saw his central 35-yard free-kick bounce past the post after 26 minutes and then he played in Brothers, whose right-footed curler from twenty-yards, sailed past the top of the far-post, despite being flagged offside.

Folkestone’s second chance of the game, however, arrived on the half-hour mark.

Charlie Glyde floated in a left-footed free-kick from 35-yards towards Watson at the far-post and his sent his header towards the far corner but goalkeeper Dale Brightly fumbled and was relieved to see a defender hook the ball to safety.

But Hornchurch squandered their best chance just two minutes later.

Folkestone goalkeeper Luke Stonebridge pushed away Janney’s free-kick from the right and the ball fell to their top-scorer Simon Parker, who, with his left-foot, blazed over with the goal at his mercy from 12-yards out.

The Essex visitors created the first second half chance after 53 minutes.

Brothers’ hopeful cross was fumbled again by Stonebridge under pressure from Harry Elmes and the ball fell to Parker, who, as he turned to shoot, was closed down by two Folkestone defenders, and he sent his shot ballooning over the crossbar.

Despite the game being played in a subdued atmosphere, the Kent side could have woken up their fans just five minutes later.

Watson’s long-ball was flicked on by the quiet Lloyd Blackman into Bremner’s path, but his poked volley, at full stretch, looped into the grateful arms of the former Dartford goalkeeper.

Parker and Brothers combined and the latter unleashed a right-footed shot from thirty-yards, which sailed past the post.

As the Essex side changed formation to 3-4-3, this opened up some gaps, and finally, the battling Kent side started to go for that vital victory.

James Everitt drilled a right-footed shot past the left-hand post from thirty-yards and then James Corbett squeezed his way into the penalty area down the left-hand side before cracking a shot towards the top far-corner, which was turned away by Brightly and was cleared by defensive rock, Richard Goddard.

And James Everitt headed Charlie Glyde’s far-post corner past the post inside stoppage time.

But Cugley, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, was pleased with the point and is confident that his side will be playing Dartford and Dover Athletic in the Ryman Premier League next season - at Maidstone United’s expense.

“Pleased really,” he said. “They were a big, strong, powerful side.

“We’ve got a lot of younger lads and I think maybe Saturday’s game (at Margate) took a lot out of them.

“We didn’t have the sharpness that we did on Saturday.

"I thought we did well and second half I was very pleased.

“First half I thought they (Hornchurch) bossed the game and we defended well and threw everything in and I couldn’t ask for more and then second half I was pleased.

“Maybe we could have played a little bit more football but generally we’ve had a go.

“We’ve got so many youngsters out there, but they’re having a right go for me.”

Cugley revealed that his side won’t be training this week but they’ll get to Cheriton Road early on Saturday to go through what needs to be done.

Two Kent club’s survival hopes go down to at least 90 minutes of football.

“It’s a shame in some way’s,” said Cugley, looking at the league table inside the match day programme. “But at least we know we can draw and stay up, or hopefully draw - it’s getting so complicated!

“At least we’ve had a go. I can’t knock the players at all. They’ve been a credit to me and I’m very proud of them.

Whoever loses on Saturday will miss out on many lucrative Kent derbies in the Ryman Premier League next season.

“You’d like to have all your Kent club’s all together wouldn’t you?” said Cugley. “I don’t think that’s possible now is it, I’m not sure?

“Never mind, what can you do? At the end of the day club’s will still survive in a lower league, off they go again.”

Cugley hopes a relaxed atmosphere will help his players get the result they need to stay up.

“Because we’ve got so many injuries, we’ll come in early on Saturday and work on a few things,” said Cugley.

“We’ve been doing that recently and it’s been quite good since we’ve been coming in early on Saturday’s we haven’t lost a game so hopefully that will continue.”

And Cugley revealed what he’ll be telling his young squad, ahead of their winner-takes-all shootout.

“They’ve got to enjoy it!” he said. “There’s going to be a lot (of fans) here, I reckon they’ll be nearly 700-800 here hopefully and they should enjoy it.

“They haven’t let me down, they’ve given me everything. What can you say to young players? Go and enjoy it and give it everything and if they do that I think we’ll get the result.

“It’s up to us. It should be a good day, it’s something you should look forward to.

“Hopefully the players’ look forward to it. I’ll look forward to it and we’ll give it a right go and as I said earlier, that’s all I can ask.

“That’s what they’re doing for me at the moment and hopefully they’ll look forward to it, enjoy it, and play in front of a good crowd and get a good result.”

Cugley isn’t contemplating defeat against Maidstone United, but if that happens on Saturday, Cugley believes his young side will stick together.

He said: “If you’ve seen those young lads, how much they’ve progressed over the short period of time, if the worse thing did happen then we’ll stick by them because they’re the future of this club.”

And when asked if he’d be here next season, Cugley replied: “I think so yes!”

“I haven’t really sat down with anybody in a big way yet because so much is going on with what league we’ll be in so it’s a bit difficult for everybody.

“But we haven’t got a big squad but generally the people upstairs have been very supportive to me.”

Folkestone Invicta: Luke Stonebridge, Kevin Watson, Liam Dickson, Frankie Chappell, Liam Friend, Charlie Glyde, James Corbett, Micheal Everitt, James Everitt (Kieron Byrne 90), Lloyd Blackman, Leigh Bremner (Ben Sly 66).
Subs: John Ovard, Josh Burchell, Seb Barton.

AFC Hornchurch: Dale Brightly, Frankie Curley (Ross Wall 79), Jim McFarlane, John Pirdie, Richard Goddard, Danny Glozier (Shane Oakley 66), Michael Brothers, Mark Janney, Harry Elmes, Simon Parker, Elliott Styles.
Subs: Des Boateng, Michael Rankin, Scott Curley.

Booked: Frankie Curley 36

Attendance: 387
Referee: Mr Warren Atkin (Crawley, West Sussex)
Assistants: Mr Gary Croft (Sedlescombe, East Sussex) & Mr David Spain (Westfield, East Sussex)