Folkestone Invicta 0-0 Horsham - It's important we look a bit more dangerous up front - Cugley
Tuesday 07th December 2010
FOLKESTONE INVICTA 0-0 HORSHAM
Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 7th December 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road
FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley has challenged his strikers to score the goals to keep the club in the Ryman Premier League - after playing out their second goal-less draw with fellow strugglers Horsham.
The Kent side were booed off the pitch by a section of the Cheriton Road faithful as tonight’s bore draw kept the club in a precarious position of just one place - and now two points - above the relegation zone after seventeen games.
This fixture attracted the club’s smallest crowd of the season as only 142 fans braved the chilly conditions, in Kent’s only fixture of the night as all the others fell victim to the current cold snap.
Folkestone Invicta have only scored 11 league goals this season and with Allan Tait, James Dryden and Simon Austin in his squad, Cugley wants his big three star names to start delivering the goods and give supporters something to cheer about.
Speaking about the goal-tally, Cugley told www.kentishfootball.co.uk inside his office afterwards, “Again, it’s not good enough! But to be fair, Dryden’s getting fitter, Taity’s getting fitter, Paul Jones won’t be too far off.
“You’ve got people like Tait and Dryden out there, they’re footballers and you’ve got to keep passing the ball and believing in what you’re doing.
“I said from day one, forward’s keep you up and it’s up to them really. If they get you goals, then you stay up!
“Let’s see if we can get some more goals in the league. It’s important we start looking a bit more dangerous up front.”
Horsham’s masked winger, Gary Charman, rolled a weak left-footed shot into Jack Delo’s arms before former Horsham striker Tait had a fifth minute strike (which nestled into the bottom far corner) chalked off for offside.
Tait was then denied by a diving headed near post clearance from Ben Andrews after the Folkestone striker embarrassed the onrushing Horsham keeper Mark Zawaski, before curling a shot from a tight angle towards the near post.
Folkestone keeper Delo then made his second comfortable save in the 17th minute when Scott Harris’ diagonal ball over the top from his right-back position caught out the Folkestone defence but Billy Dunn failed to capitalise with a right-footed drive from a tight angle.
Folkestone Invicta finally called Zawadski into action on the stroke of half-time, following a fine move, which resulted in Harris being booked for a foul on Josh Burchell, who was sprinting towards the edge of the Horsham penalty area.
Midfielder Robbie Kember stepped up and stroked an angled right-footed free-kick from 30-yards, which was tipped over by the agile Horsham keeper.
Cugley admitted he was pleased with the way his side played first half - but wasn’t for the rest of the game, although it was a point gained.
“Disappointed with the second half,“ he admitted. “I thought we played ever so well, thought we played some really great football first half, showed what a good side we are and second half I thought we were totally rubbish really, really poor and that’s disappointing.
“Myself and Edgey (Roland Edge) are trying to get over to the lads we’re a footballing side, we have to play football. We haven’t got any big lumps that we can drive it up to. We have to keep playing and do the right things.”
Horsham’s best chance to win the game came just 67 seconds into the second half when Delo spread himself at his near post to deny Patrick Harding from scoring with a downward half-volley from point blank range following Lee Carey’s looping cross from the left.
Folkestone Invicta rued their best chance in the 53rd minute, when Dryden missed an open goal, a chance he would have buried during his prime.
A ball out of defence picked out James Everitt on the left hand side of the Horsham penalty area and his bouncing shot was flicked away by Zawadski and the ball dropped to Dryden at the far post but he looped a stretching shot over an open goal.
Horsham threw on all of their substitutes early in the second half and later in the half took the game to Folkestone, who were content to soak up the pressure, although their fans demanded better.
Mark Knee’s ball over the top released Michael Hector - Horsham’s central defender who was up for a corner - and he cut along the by-line but smashed his shot into the side netting after 66 minutes.
Horsham substitute Tony Nwachukwu also got in a couple of good positions with his pace down the right but on each occasion his finishing or final ball let him down.
Former Tonbridge Angels midfielder, Anthony Storey, who took all seven of Horsham’s corners, smashed an ambitious 30-yard right-footed volley into Delo’s arms inside the final fifteen minutes.
On a rare Folkestone attack, Burchell whipped in a cross from the left which was met by a bullet header from Frankie Chappell at the far post, but the ball cleared the crossbar, before two former Hornets almost grabbed Folkestone the win.
Substitute Simon Austin’s cross found Tait in space on the edge of the penalty area, but his right-footed volley was straight at the Horsham keeper.
Folkestone’s last chance saw Edge stab the ball forward to release substitute Peter Williams but the young striker rushed his shot and the ball rolled harmlessly wide from 25-yards.
Storey’s last contribution was to find substitute Steve Davies, who rose to power a deflected header over the Folkestone crossbar, but both sides had to settle for a point.
This was Folkestone’s first game for fourteen days as their last three games were called off due to unfit pitches and Cugley felt his side struggled due to lack of match sharpness.
He said: “Yes, maybe, I think a little bit because we had a good win against Margate (fourteen days ago), we were all on a bit of a high, looked a little sharper. We didn’t look very sharp in the second half.”
When asked about the booing, Cugley honestly replied, “I don’t blame them, we’ve got to play better!
“In the first half you get clapped off, second half you get booed at, so that’s life!
“They (our fans) want to see us win but we’re not in a situation where we can change things much. We’re not going to bring loads of players in, we’ve got to stick with the younger lads and believe in what they’re doing and they’ve got to believe in what we’re doing.
“It was easier last year in the lower league to be loved by everybody and now we’ve got to learn the other side of things.”
Cugley added: “To be fair, Horsham will be more disappointed than us but that’s our fault by not believing in what we’re doing and we’ve got to keep trying to play football.
“If we play like the first half we’ll be alright, we’ll stay up. If we play like the second half, we’ll go down!
“First half, I thought it was a good game. I thought there was a lot of football and some great passing but it deteriorated second half.
“Horsham chucked the big centre half up front and got a lot of flick offs from him and they went very direct and they caused us a few problems.”
Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell (Peter Williams 82), Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Liam Dickson, Roland Edge, Robbie Kember, James Dryden (Simon Austin 70), Allan Tait, James Everitt.
Subs: Luke Webb, Roy Guiver, Dan Hulme.
Booked: Robbie Kember 30, Liam Dickson 90
Horsham: Mark Zawadski, Scott Harris (Tony Nwachukwu 55), Mark Knee, Ben Andrews, Michael Hector, Anthony Storey, Paul Kennett, Lee Carey, Billy Dunn (Ryan Woodford 56), Patrick Harding, Gary Charman (Steve Davies 48).
Subs: Shane Graham, Ian Payne.
Booked: Scott Harris 44, Ryan Woodford 84
Attendance: 142
Referee: Mr Darren Blunden (Dartford)
Assistants: Mr Richard Joss (Margate) & Mr Phillip Rowley (Canterbury)