Folkestone make their point to league leaders

FOLKESTONE INVICTA produced a battling performance against Ryman Premier League leaders Chelmsford City on Saturday afternoon to gain a point in a blustery 0-0 affair at the Buzzlines Stadium, writes Andy Bown and Tom Marchant.

Jeff King’s formidable side were the title favourites for Invicta boss Neil Cugley at the start of the season and that assertion is certainly bearing fruit as the Essex based outfit remain eight points clear at the top of the table.

Cugley was able to name captain Roland Edge in the starting line up as the defender made his first start since before Christmas after picking up a knee injury at Wealdstone in mid-December and he took the place of the suspended Frankie Chappell.

Edge makes a timely return to the side and the experience of the former Gillingham, Hull City and Hibernian player in an increasingly youthful starting line up looks set to be vital as the season enters its final, pivotal months.

And Cugley, speaking to www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk said: “I thought he was excellent and the back four and Charlie played very well on Saturday and hopefully they’ll do that again this weekend. We do need him and his experience will be vital and he and Watto are two very good full backs.”

New loan signing Tom Webb made his debut in place of Mark Saunders who dropped to the substitutes bench which also featured attacking player Damian Abel who has been recalled from his loan at Ramsgate, and James Everitt who served a one match suspension last week and who has recovered from a recent back strain.

Webb signed a one month loan deal with the Seasiders joining from Championship side Colchester United. The teenager signed professional terms with Colchester last summer and has netted five times in eleven matches for their reserve side.

Cugley explained: “I had spoken to his agent two or three months ago to see about bringing him in and at that time we were making a lot of phone calls to see whether we could get some players in. His agent phoned me about him at that time and I phoned Colchester and they decided not to let him go.

“Then about ten days ago I got a phone call to say they might let him out on loan and they did last week. It has been one of those ones where we’ve tried to get him before and it hadn’t worked for us but now it has and we’re obviously very pleased about it.”

Cugley shuffled his team selection accordingly and deployed Ben Sly in midfield alongside Micheal Everitt and Charlie Glyde.

In an attacking Folkestone line up, Webb, James Corbett and Lloyd Blackman occupied the attacking berths.

“I was delighted with the three lads (Everitt, Sly and Glyde) in there and I thought they worked really hard,” said Cugley.

“We had to stifle them and that was part of the game plan and with the younger lads in the midfield like Ben and Glydey and obviously Mev always works hard, they got round them ever so well and stopped them playing and as the game went on they seemed to grow in confidence. I just feel as a side we’ve got to be a little more confident on the ball.

“I thought Tom done alright and he obviously has a lot of ability. Like a lot of these young players it’s getting used to the pace and strength of the game as they haven’t been playing much football.

“I think if he stayed at Colchester his dad said he would play one game in the time he is with us and by coming to us he’s playing seven which is a big difference.

“I think you could see by a couple of things which he done that he has got good feet and it was a bit of a shame that he was given offside when he went through as I think he’s got the ability to put the ball in the net. His passing was good and I think he played well and hopefully he can improve in the forthcoming matches”.

Reflecting on Saturday’s fine point against Chelmsford City, Cugley said: “They had a very good chance first half which they didn’t take but generally I was pleased with the performance and as the game went on I thought during the last twenty minutes we were looking the more likely to score.

“We were set up a bit more attacking than we have been recently but at the end of the day we still didn’t score but in all fairness we were playing a very good side.”

A number of forthcoming Ryman Premier matches are between sides that are positioned in close proximity to Invicta in the League table.

Tonight East Thurrock United (21^st, 34 points) take on Hastings United (20^th, 35 points), Harlow Town (15^th, 40 points) play Horsham (5^th, 49 points) and Wealdstone (19^th, 36 points) play Maidstone United (17^th, 39 points).

Asked what he hopes the results of such matches will be Cugley mused, “Loads of draws! A lot of teams around us are playing each other at the moment and you’d like draws really but obviously that’s out of our hands but overall our own fate is down to us and we must pick up points.”

Despite plenty of speculation about midfielder Mark Saunders, Cugley insisted that the former Gillingham star “at the present time remains a Folkestone Invicta player.”

But the Cheriton Road club will issue a statement on this subject later in the week.

Article courtesy of www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk