Folkestone Invicta 2-1 Crawley Down Gatwick - We might sneak back in to play-offs, says Neil Cugley

Saturday 26th January 2013

FOLKESTONE INVICTA 2-1 CRAWLEY DOWN GATWICK
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 26^th January 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says the only pressure being put on his side to reach the play-off’s comes only from himself.

Folkestone Invicta opened up the Ryman League Division One South play-off chase with a deserved 2-1 victory over Crawley Down Gatwick at a sunny Cheriton Road.

Cugley’s side climbed up a couple of places into eleventh with 33 points from 22 games, six points behind their Sussex opponents who cling on to fifth spot, with 39 points from 24 outings.

All three goals of the game were scored inside the opening 34 minutes.

Dane Luchford, who has played for Whitstable Town and Kent Invicta League leaders Phoenix Sports this season, opened his goalscoring account for Folkestone in only his third game after slotting home after four and a half minutes.

But Crawley Down Gatwick striker Luke Blewden scored against his former club to bring his side level exactly two minutes later.

Folkestone Invicta’s leading goalscorer, lone striker, Richard Atkins slid in his seventh-goal of the season to seal the three points for the Kent side.

”I think the last month or so we’ve really had a go,” said Cugley, 56.

”I’m not saying we’re the greatest side but players’ have just rolled their sleeves up and battled, they’ve had to do jobs and got on with it really and credit to the players’. There’s a good spirit amongst them and I’m really pleased.”

When asked why that is the case, Cugley replied, “Good manager, I think! That’s the truth. I think we’ve always had a good spirit here. We’ve had to change a little bit when Marso (Darren Marsden) and Kingy (Stuart King) went (to Faversham Town and Maidstone United respectively), we changed the style a little bit to be more of a hardworking sort of unit really.”

Reflecting on the game today, Cugley said the lower-than-expected crowd were entertained.

”I suppose with certain publicity (linking me to the vacant Margate job during the past week) flying about and different things, if you see games like that then people will come back. You’d like a little more but I look at it the other way. It’s 191 people who could have done something else today and they’ve come along and watched a good game and they’ll come back and hopefully bring some others. You’d like 250’s, something like that every week.

”I thought it was a really entertaining game. If you come in and watched the game on a Saturday it was great. They were attacking, we were attacking. Goalkeeper’s making saves, things were happening. It was a credit to the League really.”

Folkestone Invicta’s starting eleven has amassed 1,570 appearances between them after this game, with Hythe resident Cugley clocking up his 806^th game in charge of his beloved club.

Crawley Down Gatwick, who have made a remarkable rise from parks football to the Ryman League in only 20 years of their existence, featured some familiar names in their ranks with Jamie Cade, Blewden, Fraser Logan and unused substitute Jean-Michel Sigere known to Kent followers.

Crawley Down Gatwick created the first chance of the game when Scottish Logan, who was playing on the left of a three-man midfield, swung in a free-kick and the ball came out to debutant Tom Bold, whose speculative overhead kick bounced wide of the left-hand post from sixteen-yards.

But Folkestone Invicta opened the scoring with their first attack, courtesy of Luchford’s fine finish.

Midfielder Nat Blanks played a sublime through ball which went in between the two Crawley Down Gatwick central defenders (Jack Page and Craig Richards) to release Luchford through on goal.

Luchford took a heavy touch and visiting keeper Anthony Di Bernardo raced off his line ready to pounce on the loose ball, but Luchford maintained his composure and rolled his right-footed shot past the keeper to find the bottom left-hand corner.

Cugley said: “I think he needed a goal. He’s been a bit quiet so far and that goal just gives him a lift. I think he had a super game, really caused them problems with a lot of pace.

”We don’t have to pay him so we like him. He’s one of our favourites. He’s done well. Dane and Atkins linked up well so that was good.”

But Folkestone Invicta’s joy was very short lived as Crawley Down Gatwick levelled to make the score 1-1 inside seven minutes.

Right-back Steve Sargent had time and space to whip in a cross and the ball was flicked on to Blewden at the far post and his initial header bounced down off the top of the left-hand post and he was left in acres of space to smash home the rebound, much to Cugley’s disappointment.

”But then obviously they scored straight away so that was a bit disappointing,” added Cugley.

”Poor defending anyway from the first header – there were two headers that went in and we won neither of them. That was disappointing! We’re disappointed with that goal but generally our defensive play was good.”

Crawley Down Gatwick manager John Maggs started with an attacking 4-3-3 formation with Blewden, Cade and Gabriel Odunaike causing alarm, and at this stage supporters felt they would see a repeat of the seven-goal thriller that Folkestone Invicta lost back in October.

Cugley said: “To be fair they played very openly and we’re quite an open side. They were playing near enough four up front so they’re always going to be an attacking side. They’ve got some good players. The Cade lad is a good player, Blewey does well, Logan does well. The right-winger (Odunaike) is a good player. They’ve got some good players there.”

A poor piece of defending from Page gifted Folkestone Invicta another chance which Josh Burchell failed to take – the left sided midfielder racing on before dragging his left-footed shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

Burchell then failed to pass to Atkins, who was in space in front of him, and went for glory himself and upon reflection he made the wrong decision as his left-footed drive from 25-yards flashed wider than his earlier effort.

Crawley Down Gatwick should have taken the lead when Logan’s inswinging free-kick wasn’t cleared by the Folkestone Invicta defence and after a game of head tennis inside the six-yard box former Tonbridge Angels striker Cade chipped the ball over as he slid in to meet the loose ball five-yards from goal.

A poor piece of defending from Blanks on the edge of the Folkestone Invicta penalty area saw him play the ball straight to Blewden, who snatched at his first time shot, which curled just wide of the far post from 25-yards.

Crawley Down Gatwick keeper Di Bernardo made a fine save in the 29^th minute.

Logan was penalised by referee Nick Dunn for a foul on Darren Smith by the corner flag and Smith cut a quickly taken free-kick back to right-back Phil Stevenson, who cut inside before stroking a left-footed drive from 25-yards towards the bottom right-hand corner, but the keeper dived low to his left to push the ball around the post.

Cugley was full of praise for Atkins, for his match-winning goal in the 34^th minute.

A bullet header out of defence by skipper Liam Friend should have been cut out by Sargent, but he allowed the ball to go past him to release Burchell down the left.

Burchell then slipped the ball through to Smith, who cut the ball along the face of goal for Atkins to slid in to poke the ball into the middle of the goal from six-yards.

”What I will say about Richard Atkins, he deserves every single goal he gets,” said Cugley.

”We have to leave him on his own a little bit and he works his socks off for us. I’m pleased for him to get that one.”

The home fans claimed Blewden was “one greedy b****rd” four minutes before the interval when his shot on the turn sailed high and wide after he failed to punish a mistake from Friend on the edge of the Folkestone penalty area.

Folkestone Invicta created the last chance of the first half when industry from Luchford on the right saw him close down Page, before Smith played the ball inside to Atkins, whose right-footed angled drive sailed just past the top of the near post.

When asked what he told his players’ during the interval, Cugley said: “Just keep plugging away and be careful because they are a good, attacking side. They’ve scored a lot of goals this season and they’ll catch you but I thought we defended brilliantly second half.

”I really don’t think Jack had a save to make, did he? Really their keeper’s kept them in it. I was pleased with our counter attacking work. We had to set-up as the game went on to go tight against their midfield because they’ve got a lot of experienced lads in there.

”I know a lot of ours have played quite a few games, they’re still quite young in that sense so very pleased how we dealt with everything.”

Crawley Down Gatwick squandered an excellent chance to equalise within seven second half minutes.

Bold’s first time ball released right-sided striker Gabriel Odunaike through the middle of the pitch but he dwelled too long on the ball and when he ran out of options he played the ball inside to Blewden to smash his right-footed shot wayward.

Burchell then spread the ball out wide to Luchford in the 55^th minute before progressing towards the near post to meet Luchford’s cross, but he hooked his shot just wide from inside the six-yard box.

Crawley Down Gatwick then found the Folkestone Invicta back four at their resilient best and the team in red shirts couldn’t get through to test Jack Delo, whose 198^th game for the club was a quiet one.

Cugley, who stood beside Roland Edge in front of his dug-out throughout the game, admitted: “It was one of those days where I didn’t think there were going to score. Obviously I sit there most days and think the other team will score, but I just didn’t think there were going to cause us too many problems.

”Occasionally they attacked but Liam Friend done well at the back with his pace. They didn’t really get many chances really.”

But the Sussex side should have equalised halfway through the second half, thanks to some good attacking play from substitute Charlie Slocombe.

Slocombe stroked the ball over the halfway line to Cade, who played a clever pass which released Slocombe down the right and after making a 40-yard run he whipped in a cross towards the far post, which Odunaike slid in to stab his shot across Delo and past the far post, albeit from an offside position.

Delo made a comfortable collection after midfielder Byron Napper hit a speculative right-footed shot from 30-yards, before Folkestone Invicta finished the game on the front foot and had chances to increase their lead.

Luchford played the ball inside to Smith, whose right-footed drive from 30-yards sailed over the crossbar.

But more industry from Slocombe down the right should have been rewarded by Blewden at the far post, but the unmarked striker snatched at his shot on the turn, which he skied from 12-yards.

Delo’s resulting goal-kick was flicked on by Atkins to put Luchford through on goal, but he was denied by a smart low save from Di Bernardo, who stretched to his right to make a fine block.

The roles were reversed inside injury time when Luchford’s flick released Atkins through on goal, but his right-footed chip dropped agonisingly wide of the left-hand post.

Reflecting on their late chances, Cugley said: “You start thinking about the chances we had. It was good. I’m pleased. We had to battle in there. We had to change our system a little bit to stop them playing because they started better than us second half because their experience.

”You can’t really moan at the chances missed. Smudger hit the target, the keeper’s made the save from Luchford, who had a good game and Richard’s put his lob just wide so you can’t moan at the players’ for that. They’ve gambled and got in there.”

Folkestone Invicta welcome thirteenth-placed Chipstead to Cheriton Road on Wednesday night and another victory will start the play-off push – exactly where a club of their stature should be.

”Yes, we’ve got nothing to lose. We’ve had our problems and people have left and things have happened and we should just start playing like that every game, really enjoy it and give it everything.

”To be fair when we lost to Dulwich (2-0 here in our last game two weeks ago), we gave it everything. That’s what we have to do if we win games. We might sneak back in.

”There’s definitely no pressure, not from me, but you want to win games don’t you so there is a little bit of pressure because you want to win games.

”We said we can get a win today and win Wednesday then we can look at the league table, can’t we?

”Roland Edge could be back playing to give us a bit more experience in there but I want just the same really. As long as they work hard for me and have a go that’s the main thing really for me.

”I think the last four games they’ve done really, really well for me.”

Folkestone Invicta then play eight games in February, starting with a trip to Tooting & Mitcham United next Saturday.

”Funnily enough we ain’t got a bad little squad really. We haven’t got loads but we’ve got 15 lads’. Even today none of them (the substitutes) came on, they’re all good lads’ and if they came on they wouldn’t let us down, so I’m happy with them.”

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Phil Stevenson, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Liam Dickson, Darren Smith, Nat Blanks, Richard Atkins, Dane Luchford, Josh Burchell.
Subs: Ryan Philpott, Johan Ter Horst, Luke Webb, Roddy Hayward

Goals: Dane Luchford 5, Richard Atkins 34

Booked: Dane Luchford 90

Crawley Down Gatwick: Anthony Di Bernardo, Steve Sargent, Miles Mitchell, Craig Richards, Jack Page, Tom Bold (Charlie Slocombe 64), Gabriel Odunaike, Byron Napper, Jamie Cade, Luke Blewden, Fraser Logan.
Subs: Jean Michel-Sigere, Tom Graves, Tom Bingham, Peter Tarrant

Goal: Luke Blewden 7

Booked: Steve Sargent 69, Craig Richards 77

Attendance: 191
Referee: Mr Nicholas Dunn (Deal)
Assistants: Mr Michael Marsh (Herne Bay) & Mr Issac Searle (Herne Bay)