Kentish Football 
Folkestone Invicta 6-1 Badshot Lea - Stuart King's finishing was top drawer, says Neil Cugley
Saturday 23rd July 2011
FOLKESTONE INVICTA 6-1 BADSHOT LEAPre-Season Friendly
Saturday 23rd July 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road
FOLKESTONE INVICTA lifted the gloom following their depressing relegation last season and opened their pre-season campaign with a comfortable morale-boosting win over Badshot Lea.
Badshot Lea, who play only one division below, in the Combined Counties League, are managed by former Folkestone Invicta coach Lee Dyson, but they were outclassed by their Ryman League Division One South hosts.
Three Folkestone strikers got on the score sheet, summer signing from Thamesmead Town, Stuart King, 23, netted a hat-trick on his club debut, James Dryden scored two in 12 minutes and James Everitt headed home.
Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley said afterwards: “Obviously pleased, fitness was high, I think, because we’re quite a young side. I think that showed up so I was quite pleased with that. We are trying to pass the ball about a bit better and I thought we did that well, especially in the first half although we got the goals in the second half, I thought some of the football we played was very good.”
The long-serving boss praised his three-man midfield of Micheal Everitt, Danny Smith and new signing from Tonbridge Angels, Luke Blewden (who was watched by his dad Colin, who manages the Angels’ reserve side), and the trio pulled the strings as Folkestone sprayed the ball around the middle third of the pitch at every opportunity.
King took nine minutes and thirty-one seconds to open his goalscoring account for Folkestone, having latched onto a lovely through ball from Micheal Everitt and he comfortably rounded goalkeeper Luke Brimble and slammed a left-footed shot high into the roof of the net.
Despite Folkestone passing the ball around, Badshot Lea almost levelled, when their two number 9’s combined.
Ginger haired winger, Darren Blake, centred low from the right, for striker John Pomeroy, who was denied by goalkeeper Jack Delo, who dived low to his left.
But Badshot Lea did level in the 23rd minute, against the run of play, which stunned the home faithful.
Tricky left-winger, Aaron Ageyman wriggled past Josh Vincent and he centred for midfielder Dave Wood, who rounded Delo and buried a left-footed shot into the top near corner.
Injury-prone striker, Paul Jones, had an ambitious right-footed chip caught by the visiting keeper after Frankie Chappell clipped the ball up field.
Badshot Lea almost grabbed the lead in the 32nd minute when a poor clearance from keeper Delo fell to Blake, but his right-footed chip from 35-yards bounced off the top of the crossbar with the former Herne Bay keeper nowhere to be seen.
Folkestone ditched their slick passing when Smith sprayed the ball out to James Everitt on the left, who cut the ball back for Blewden, who floated an over hit ball into the box. The ball was retrieved by King, who cut inside and blasted a left-footed drive wide of the far post from 20-yards.
King, who started the move, scored his second four minutes before the break, with a cheeky finish.
Smith found Jones, who played King in behind the flat-footed back four, and the flag stayed down so King cut inside defenders Liam Roberts and Devon Williams and slammed a low right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner from six-yards with keeper Brimble rooted to the spot.
They ended the half with another chance when Vincent cut inside and his cross was chested down by James Everitt, who found Blewden, whose initial chip was blocked and Vincent hooked a right-footed volley flying wide of the far post.
Folkestone boss Neil Cugley made five changes at the break, whereas Badshot Lea brought on all three of their substitutes, although they were forced to bring bald midfielder James Mariner back on for the final fourteen minutes due to an injury sustained by Blake after he went in hard on Josh Burchell prior to the sixth goal.
King completed his hat-trick after only 101 seconds into the second half, with the Folkestone faithful behind the Cricket End goal chanting, “We’ve got a striker now!”
Chappell, who along with Liam Dickson, were the only Folkestone players who got through 90 minutes, slipped the striker through on goal and he clinically rolled a left-footed shot across keeper Brimble to find the bottom far corner.
King, who scored 17 goals for Kent League side Herne Bay before a surprise move to Ryman League Division One North side Thamesmead Town last February, looks to be the striker that Cugley missed last season when his side finished rock bottom in the Ryman Premier League last season.
“Kingy looked class, we all know he can be,” said Cugley. “It’s no good saying would he get goals at that (Ryman Premier) standard, I don’t know, it’s a little bit different. Hopefully he’ll come to us and start whacking goals in at Ryman South level. His finishing was top drawer.”
Delo’s last contribution was to make a comfortable save from Badshot Lea substitute Chris MacKay, after fellow substitute Marcus Cousins played the ball inside.
With their visitors’ wilting, Folkestone went on to score three more goals during the final half-hour.
Dryden’s first goal – and Folkestone’s fourth – arrived on the hour when he brushed aside a half-hearted challenge from Tristan Dennis and his left-footed shot trickled across the stranded and embarrassed Brimble to find the bottom far corner from 22-yards.
Folkestone made it 5-1 in the 67th minute when Burchell spread the ball out wide to substitute left-back Matt Hooper, who played the ball back inside to Burchell, who chipped the ball to Dryden and his excellent cross from the inside left-channel gave Brimble no chance and the unmarked James Everitt headed the ball into the net at the far post.
Folkestone wrapped up the stroll in the 72nd minute when Burchell rode Blake’s challenge and swept the ball out to Dryden on the left flank and the striker looked up and sent an ambitious left-footed chip from 35-yards, which sailed over the embarrassed keeper into the top far corner.
Cugley added: “Jim’s still slowly getting over his injury, he hasn’t played much football in the last two years, but his vision is still good, he’s got a great left foot and if we can get him fit and Jonesey, I thought had a very good first half, was really strong, suddenly you are getting a bit of competition up front and it’s looking a bit better for us.”
Folkestone’s substitute goalkeeper, Roddy Hayward, who played for Canterbury City last season, made two smart saves and Badshot Lea struck the crossbar for the second time late on when a rare mistake from Chappell allowed Pomeroy a chance at goal, his right-footed effort crashing off the crossbar.
Speaking about Hayward, Cugley said: “He was at Canterbury last year and he played us in a friendly and he phoned me up. It’s nice because we haven’t really had any cover for Jack and he done ever so well, two great saves, so that’s pleasing.”
On today’s other players, the Folkestone boss said: “Luke Blewden done well, Matt Hollyoak done well second half when he came on (at right-back) and looked steady.”
It was thought that those two players were on loan/dual registration from Tonbridge Angels, but Cugley confirmed, “There not really on a deal with Tonbridge – they’re with us! No disrespect to them, there not Conference South standard players at the moment, so I’ve just signed them the other day.”
Cugley added: “I do like Matt Hooper, who has been here quite a lot and he’s trained well and Scott Punton has been with Dover reserves and Lordswood and different places. They’ll have one more go and try to get into this standard – it’s whether they can do it, it’s up to them really and Jason Soule, he’s 24, so he’s really got to start doing it straight away for us. He was at Tonbridge and mainly the other lads are local lads from our youth team who we want to keep progressing.”
Folkestone Invicta are still waiting to hear how much Margate are going to pay in compensation for defender Liam Friend.
Cugley said: “He’s training with Margate, that’s ticking along. It’s up to Margate really, it’s in their hands, not ours. I think Liam is a very good player, definitely a Ryman Premier League player and I’ve got no problems with him going anywhere but obviously we want to be compensated for the hard work that we’ve put in. He’s spent nine years here, has come through the youth teams and done well and was one of the highest paid here.”
Folkestone travel to Ryman League Division One North side Chatham Town on Tuesday night. Kevin Watson’s side were due to open their pre-season campaign with a trip to Kent League side Erith Town but their game was cancelled “due to pitch being unfit for use due to an athletics event behind held on it,” just over two hours before the kick-off.
Cugley said: “It will be a little bit tougher than today. Kevin Watson (a former Folkestone player) is a good lad and I’m really looking forward to seeing him on Tuesday. It gives us another test and it will be a good game up there.”
Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo (Roddy Hayward 61), Josh Vincent (Matt Hollyoak 46), Josh Burchell (Josh McCue 75), Liam Dickson, Frankie Chappell, Luke Blewden (Matt Hooper 46), Micheal Everitt (Niall Jackson 70), Darren Smith (Scott Punton 46), Paul Jones (James Dryden 46), James Everitt (Jason Soule 46), Stuart King (James Everitt 56).
Goals: Stuart King 10, 41, 47, James Dryden 60, 72, James Everitt 66
Badshot Lea: Luke Brimble, Dave Wood, Tristan Dennis, Devon Williams, John Cooper, Liam Roberts, Darren Blake (James Mariner 76), Jerome Stevens (Mike Carey 46), John Pomeroy, James Mariner (Chris Mackay 46), Aaron Ageyman (Marcus Cousins 46).
Goal: Dave Wood 23
Attendance: 103
Referee: Mr David Buck (Istead Rise)
Assistants: Mr Lee Dyson (Gravesend) & Mr Mike Marsh (Herne Bay)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd