Folkestone Invicta 0-1 Hitchin Town - We pay our strikers to score goals - Cugley

Saturday 03rd October 2009

FOLKESTONE INVICTA 0-1 HITCHIN TOWN
FA Carlsberg Trophy Preliminary Round
Saturday 3rd October 2009
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley criticised his under firing strike force as his side were dumped out of the FA Trophy at the first attempt by a Hitchin Town side that booked a trip to Canvey Island in two weeks time thanks to Jamie Arlick’s strike just two minutes from time.

Invicta have now gone 360 minutes without scoring a goal and James Dryden and Michael Yianni failed miserably to test visiting keeper Martin Bennett as they struggled to cope in the blustery conditions and rain-starved pitch at Cheriton Road today.

“We keep trying to ram it down their throat that people have got to score goals,” fumed Cugley, when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk inside his office afterwards.

“Forwards get paid to score goals and people have got to make scoring runs basically. But then again we’ve got to give them the service and also I think we don’t hold it up very well at the moment and it’s coming back too easily.”

Hitchin, like Folkestone, are second in their league (the Zamaretto League Division One Midland) and deserved to win the game, especially when you consider that Folkestone keeper Jack Delo was awarded the man-of-the-match award.

But minutes after the public address system had announced Delo’s accolade, the keeper was picking the ball out of the net.

Cugley blamed defender Liam Friend for not dealing with Brett Donnelley’s ball forward and Arlick drove his sixth goal of the season across Delo to find the bottom far corner to win the game for the more-adventurous Hertfordshire side.

Folkestone were without recent signing, striker Simon Austin, who was attending a wedding, and James Everitt (foot) and Dave Cory (hamstring) were both ruled out through injury.

But Folkestone almost broke the deadlock inside the opening three minutes when Jimmy Jackson, playing infield, floated a left-footed 25-yard drive over Bennett only to see the ball bounce agonisingly off the top of the crossbar and out for a goal-kick.

Delo made his first save of a poor game in the 24th minute.

Ieuan Lewis, impressing down the right, released Arlick in behind the Folkestone defence but the goalkeeper narrowed the angle and stuck out a right leg to divert the ball away from goal and Folkestone survived.

Jackson was to be the Folkestone player to have all three shots on target and three minutes later he swung in a free-kick from the left flank with his left-foot from 40-yards and Bennett was forced to pluck the ball out of the air from underneath his crossbar on the goal-line.

Folkestone’s attacking play was so bad that Jackson’s looping free-kick was classed as an attempt on target, when in truth it was a routine catch from the redundant Hitchin stopper.

Ever-present Delo, with seven clean sheets to his name this season, made his second save of the game in the 32nd minute.

Arlick was released by his strike partner Jeff Hammond, and after bursting past Friend, his low rolling shot brought a stretching save out of the keeper, who got up to collect the loose ball as it rolled across his goal.

Hitchin squandered an excellent chance to score a minute before the break.

Lewis once again released Arlick down the right and his hooked centre found Hammond unmarked inside the box and with only Delo to beat he hooked a right-footed shot over the bar from just ten-yards.

Visiting keeper Bennett made a comfortable save from Jackson’s weak left-footed shot from 20-yards, after skipper Micheal Everitt squared the ball to him from the edge of the box.

A fine Hitchin move in the 51st minute, where Lewis exchanged a one-two with the impressive Arlick, resulted in Lewis checking his run, twisted and turned his marker, before lashing a shot over the top of the near post from a tight angle.

Delo saw a 35-yard right-footed drive from wide-midfielder Zak Burke whistle past his right-post and the same Hitchin player called Delo into action again as the keeper used his legs to make a fine block at the near post.

Hitchin, all in green, kept pressing and in the 80th minute Delo excelled again, as the highly-rated stopper built a grey wall in front of goal.

Hitchin substitute Richard Howell drove a right-footed free-kick over the wall from 25-yards and Delo, diving to his left, beat the ball out. The ball came back into a crowded goal-mouth and the keeper tipped over Luke Donnelly’s right-footed hooked effort.

But as it seemed that the game was going to be settled up in Hitchin on Tuesday night, Delo was finally beaten.

Brett Donnelly’s ball up field wasn’t dealt with by Friend and Arlick sealed an impressive display by drilling an angled shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner.

“You couldn’t blame him, he’s a good goalie and he’s done ever so well for us,” Cugley said of Delo.

But the long-serving manager admitted Hitchin deserved to progress.

“We’ve never done very well in the Trophy and it carried on again today really,” he said.

“To be fair I thought they were the better side, especially first half, where we were really hemmed in.

“To be fair it looked like a nil-nil really at the end. Liam Friend’s made a mess of a straight forward ball and the lad’s got around the back and scored. I couldn’t see us scoring again.

“I think they’re the best side we’ve played this year. Some of their football, especially first half was outstanding.”

Folkestone had no joy out of a solid Hitchin defence, well marshalled by 41-year-old central defender Mark Smith.

But what was a miserable day for Folkestone Invicta today, Cugley was proud of the achievements of his former player and coach, Scott Lindsey.

Lindsey has left Coca-Cola League One side Gillingham, where he was technical development coach, to become first-team coach at League Two side Lincoln City.

Lindsey was awarded his A License by Chris Sutton, who is now the Imps’ manager, and was contacted by the former Blackburn Rovers, Celtic and Norwich City striker to become the club’s new coach on a three-year contract.

“Scott phoned me on Wednesday, he was driving up there to sign his three-year contact so it’s brilliant (for him), said Cugley.

“Most people know Scott in Kent and he’s a great (person), his enthusiasm is unbelievable. You could turn up in training, hardly got any equipment or anything and he wouldn’t moan. He just gets on and he deserves that chance to have a go.

“Chris Sutton said if he’d ever get a job he’d take Scott with him - I’m so pleased for him.”

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Micheal Everitt, Darren Smith (Billy Somerville 83), Dean Grant, James Dryden, Michael Yianni (Jon Driscoll 85), Jimmy Jackson.
Subs: Liam Dickson, Billy Swallow, Paul Egan.

Booked: Micheal Everitt 60, Liam Friend 66, Jon Driscoll 90

Hitchin Town: Martin Bennett, Shaun Reece, Ashley Grinham (Lance Gentle-King 46), Carl Williams, Mark Smith, Dean Gilbert, Ieuan Lewis, Jeff Hammond (Richard Howell 73), Jamie Arlick, Luke Donnelly, Zak Burke (Brett Donnelly 85).
Subs: Steve Velandia, Louis Lee.

Goal: Jamie Arlick 88

Attendance: 255
Referee: Mr Craig Hicks (Sutton, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Mark Ford (Sutton, Surrey) & Mr Simeon Potter (Sutton, Surrey)