Folkestone Invicta 0-1 Sittingbourne - Cugley warns of player cuts following cup exit

Saturday 12th September 2009

FOLKESTONE INVICTA 0-1 SITTINGBOURNE
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) First Qualifying Round
Saturday 12th September 2009
Mike Green reports from Cheriton Road

AN FA Cup tie between two cash-strapped clubs, who are local rivals as well as league rivals, you would think would generate a contest befitting of the FA Cup.

Sadly, under glorious sunny skies at Cheriton Road, the fair witnessed by the 360 crowd wasn’t what anyone hoped for as two very evenly matched sides toiled in the heat.

A solitary goal was always going to win this tie but it was somewhat disappointing that neither keeper was forced into a save worthy of the name - and that the goal scored on 56 minutes by Sittingbourne central defender Nick Reeves came straight off the training ground.

A brilliantly delivered free-kick by Adam Cottrell saw the former Beckenham Town central defender rise to head the ball into the Folkestone net for the first goal the home side had conceded at Cheriton Road this season - a total of 416 minutes.

Despite being leaders of Ryman One South, Invicta boss Neil Cugley was bitterly disappointed at his side’s FA Cup exit.

“I’m bitterly disappointed about our display today,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“The position that this club has been in during the summer financially makes it obvious that the prize money would have helped, but the players have let themselves down today and they’ve let me down and our supporters.

“Because we’ve missed out on the £3,000, there’s a chance that we may have to look at our squad yet again,” he bemoaned.

The Folkestone boss couldn’t even take part from the old cliché “at least we can concentrate on the league.”

“It’s great to be top,” he said. “But this club isn’t equipped for promotion and if we do go up I’d probably be sacked,” smiled Cugley for probably the first time during the whole afternoon.

Brickies boss Gary Abbott on the other hand was beaming as he emerged from the dressing room, but quickly admitted to www.kentishfootball.co.uk that he wouldn’t be that unhappy if his side were to travel as a result of Monday’s second qualifying round draw.

“I just don’t know what it is about Bourne Park,” he said. “But you’ve just got to look at our away form in all competitions and you have to say now that we’ve pocketed the three grand but we’d love to be drawn away on a nice pitch in front of a big crowd.”

When asked to comment on his previous comment that the prize money in the previous round would pay his wage bill for a number of weeks, Abbott simply smiled and said, “you do the maths, another win and I might actually bring in a player or two!”

In a bitterly disappointing first half, neither goalkeeper was at all tested as Reeves headed wide and Colin Richmond shot wide for the visitors, whilst for the home side Jimmy Jackson fired in two shots which went wide, one of which smashed an advertising board behind the Sittingbourne goal.

The undoubted best chance of the half, however, came in stoppage time when Folkestone full-back Josh Burchell crossed from the left only for James Dryden to completely mistimed his jump and instead of heading the ball goal wards it headed for the corner flag!

Fortunately, the second half was better - but not by much!

Hicham Akhazzan shot just over the bar just after half-time before at the other end, Michael Yianni drove wide of the Sittingbourne goal.

The goal that was to prove so crucial then arrived in the 56th minute when Reeves headed home. He was quickly swamped by his team-mates as the Brickies showed their relief at breaking the deadlock.

Richard Brady then shot straight at Folkestone keeper Jack Delo after some good work by Joe Dowley on the hour as the home side struggled to get back into the game.

Darren Smith then had two glorious chances to level, but after scoring a hat-trick last week, the midfielder first volleyed into the ground seeing the ball bounce wide of the right post, before on 72 minutes, a neat interchange on the edge of the box with Dave Cory saw Smith burst into the penalty area only to shoot into the side netting.

The only occasion that Folkestone could have equalised came six minutes from time when a ball down the inside left channel again released Smith and his centre was scrambled away by Brickies keeper Deren Ibrahim - scrambling on all fours in his penalty area before the magnificent Reeves thumped the ball to safety.

Indeed Reeves and central defensive partner Matt Bourne were both magnificent in defence for the visitors all afternoon with Reeves only edging the man-of-the-match award courtesy of his goalscoring exploits.

Folkestone substitute Dean Grant could have scored with his first touch on 86 minutes but like his side’s afternoon, dragged his effort well wide of the mark.

It was a disappointing end to a very disappointing cup tie, yet there was still an immense satisfaction for Abbott and his players as after all they had inflicted Invicta’s first defeat of the campaign, even though manager Abbott admitted after the game that “I was very disappointed with Folkestone and had expected a lot more from them. That said I can’t take anything away from my players. We did a job today and made a decent side look very ordinary.”

The Brickies boss continued, “I know what it’s like to play in this competition, in my career I’ve scored goals at Leicester and would love to be successful in the FA Cup so it’s fingers crossed for a decent draw and we’ll take it from there.”

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent (Jon Driscoll 79), Josh Burchell, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Micheal Everitt, Darren Smith, Michael Yianni (Billy Sommerville 57), James Dryden, Dave Cory, Jimmy Jackson (Dean Grant 85).
Subs: Liam Dickson, Paul Egan.

Sittingbourne: Deren Ibrahim, Femi Omogbehin, Joe Dowley, Matt Bourne, Nick Reeves, Adam Cottrell, Ashley Grant, Colin Richmond, Bradley Spice (Elie Kayembe 53), Richard Brady (Matt McHugh 77), Hicham Akhazzan.
Subs: Kweku Ansah, Nytram Dickson-Baker, Billy Manners.

Goal: Nick Reeves 56

Booked: Hicham Akhazzan 73

Attendance: 360
Referee: Mr Andy Mead (Orpington)
Assistants: Mr Paul Beadle (Sevenoaks) & Mr Adam Bakalarz (Bromley)