Folkestone Invicta youth team skipper Callum Wraight to get his first team break

Tuesday 30th December 2014

OUTSTANDING young defender Callum Wraight looks set for a run in Folkestone Invicta's starting eleven after deputising seamlessly for injured club captain Liam Friend in the Boxing Day derby win over Hythe Town.

X-rays on Saturday revealed that Friend has a broken metatarsal which is expected to keep him out for around three weeks.

Manager Neil Cugley told www.folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk: "Friend'y got a small fracture to a bone in his foot. He went into a block-tackle on Thommo (Hythe's former Folkestone striker Craig Thompson) who had to come off straight away."

The captain himself, speaking in his post-match interview, admitted that he has played with a foot injury for several weeks but the Boxing Day incident seems to have compounded the problem.

Friend played on until half-time but was replaced by Wraight at the break and the youngster never looked in any away over-awed by the occasion, or of playing in front of a season's best holiday crowd of almost 900.

Youth team skipper Wraight, 17, had also impressed when deputiisng for Friend in big cup wins over Thurrock and Dover Athletic in November and also did well stepping in for Nat Blanks when the previously ever-present fullback was unwell a fortnight ago.

Friend's centre back partner Frankie Chappell may well take over the armband though there is good news of former club captain Micheal Everitt who could make his comeback following a hamstring problem in either the New Year's Day visit to Sittingbourne or Saturday's home game against Ramsgate at Cheriton Road.

Following the departure of Paul Booth to Southern Counties East Football League promotion chasers Tunbridge Wells, Everit - Invicta's longest serving player and club record appearance maker - will be the oldest first team regular at just 31.

Assistant manager Roland Edge is now the only other over 30-year-old in the present squad.

Visit Folkestone Invicta’s website: www.folkestoneinvictafc.co.uk

Sittingbourne v Folkestone Invicta
Ryman League Division One South
Thursday 1 January 2015
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Woodstock Park, Broadoak Road, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 8AG