If you get a run in The FA Cup it solves everything, says Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says the club are starting to turn the corner off-the-pitch.



The Cheriton Road club are in the bottom five in the Ryman League Division One South table, having collected four points from their opening six games.

Folkestone Invicta were held to a 1-1 draw by neighbours Hythe Town on a decent pitch at Cheriton Road on Bank Holiday Monday.

Striker Johan Ter Horst, 18, capped off an impressive display by slotting home with 20 minutes left, before Scott Porter’s side levelled through former Maidstone United striker Shaun Welford.

But despite their slow start, Cugley, whose side grabbed fifth-place in the league last season before losing to promoted runners-up Maidstone United in the play-offs, feels his side should be higher up in the table.

“We’ve been playing really well,” said Cugley.

“I was speaking to Tim Dixon, the Ramsgate manager will be the first to say we outplayed them. We outplayed Crawley Down. We outplayed Walton Casuals but we didn’t get the results that our play deserved or our final ball wasn’t that good.

“I’m disappointed that we’re not higher up in the league, but there’s such a long way to go! There’s 46 games and we’ve only played six. We’re in no rush. We’ll get it right.  We’ll keep plugging away.

“I’m disappointed because I want more points but there has been three games there when we should’ve won easily.”

Folkestone Invicta welcome Molesey to Cheriton Road on Saturday in the FA Cup Preliminary Round.

The Surrey based club are in ninth-place in the Cherry Records Combined Counties League top-flight and have a 50% record from their opening six league games.

“Can’t ask for a better draw really, we’re at home,” said Cugley.

“We’ll carry on what we did on Monday.  Molesey won’t be as good as Hythe.  Hythe are a really strong, experienced side, so it was a real good test. We’ll come in training on Thursday and hopefully kick-on for Saturday.”

Cugley wants to progress to the next round because the winners will pick up much-needed prize money of £1,925 – and Folkestone will have a potential home Kent derby in the next round should Herne Bay win away to Eastbourne United on Saturday.

Reflecting on the prize money up for grabs, Cugley said: “Every single club feels the same, I think. It’s a lot of money. You try to raise two grand, it’s difficult. It’s hard work and if you can get a run in the Cup it solves everything.

“But the club itself, our club is getting somewhere.  We’re slowly, we’d love better results, but we can slowly turn things around.

“If people come into the ground for the first time, the ground’s nice, the pitch was nice. It’s alright. We’re getting there.”

Folkestone Invicta must find £800 per month to pay their CVA and Cugley revealed the club are coming to the end of a dark tunnel on that front.

He said: “I think the situation is we’ve got 18 months on that so we’re getting there.  There’s lots of good vibes and people working around the ground and luckily we’ve got Stripes Club that does well for us and we are getting there and I’m very proud to be manager of this club at the moment.

“It’s been up and down but at the moment I feel comfy with it. I think we’ve got good people within the club. 

“We’re trying to get it moving again. People have got to remember this time last year we had a big tax bill. We didn’t know where we was going. We had to get rid of a lot of players. Obviously we had to sell Kingy (striker Stuart King to Maidstone United) later on in the year just to survive and we did it and now we’re slowly crawling it back up now.”

Meanwhile, if Saturday’s game isn’t drawn then Folkestone Invicta will welcome holders Charlton Athletic to Cheriton Road in the Kent Senior Cup Sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com First Round next Tuesday, 3 September (7:45pm).

The Addicks clinched the silverware after beating Conference South side Tonbridge Angels 7-1 in the final at Longmead Stadium.

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

Folkestone Invicta  v  Molesey
The FA Cup with Budweiser Preliminary Round
Saturday 31^st August 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU