It seems we're getting better and better each week, says Abbott

Monday 26th October 2009

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says there’s no pressure on his side to remain at the summit of the Ryman League Division One South table, writes Stephen McCartney.

Cugley, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk on the eve of the Kent derby at Cheriton Road against Sittingbourne, was full of praise for his highly-rated goalkeeper Jack Delo, who has conceded only five goals in 11 league games.

“Delighted for the players, they’ve worked really hard with everything that has been going on off the pitch,” said Cugley.

“It’s been a tremendous achievement for them to put all that behind them and just get on and worry about the football.

“It’s been really enjoyable. The players have done really well.”

One point clear at the top of the table, Cugley is pleased with his solid back-line.

“To be fair some of the goals that we’ve given away, we think we could have stopped,” he added.

“If anything, we were trying to be more attacking this year. We’ve just defended well. Jack in goal has been really superb.”

Cugley’s side continued their fine run of form on Saturday, as Simon Austin’s 81st minute goal settled a dour game at Whyteleafe.

“It was a bit disappointing really,” admitted the long-serving Folkestone boss. “When you’re top, they think you’re one super side. I felt they were a bit too negative and never came out and have a go at us and as the game wore on it became boring.

“They never looked like scoring, they had the intension to make sure we didn’t. It didn’t make for a very good open game - but we got the goal and won the game.”

Cugley will disappoint the Folkestone faithful when he put pressure off his players by saying, “I think there’s going to be bigger teams than us (going for the title), your Worthing’s and Fleet’s and teams like that, obviously Croydon Athletic will come through.

“We’ll keep hanging in there and keep enjoying it and we’ll have a good season.

“There’s no pressure on my players to try and win the league or anything. We’ll carry on the good work that’s continued from last December.”

Tomorrow’s opponents, Sittingbourne, cut short Folkestone’s FA Cup run earlier in the season, but Cugley is not out for revenge.

“It will be quite hard as they’re always a well organised and difficult side to play against,” added Cugley.

“We had a disappointing result in the FA Cup against them, we didn’t play very well on the day, so hopefully ewe should play better than we did that day.

“I’m not into revenge, it seems a long time now. You get on with it, we’re there to enjoy our football and do well.”

But Sittingbourne’s manager, Gary Abbott, says his side holds the upper hand for tomorrow’s league game, following their 1-0 win over Invicta in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup.

“Folkestone are sort of pulling away at the top, but if we win our games in hand, we can get into the top five this week,” Abbott told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We need to get something out of the game. I don’t want to get beat. We’ve only lost two games in the league so far so we are hard to beat and that proved that on Saturday and the boys have probed that as they keep going until the 95th minute.”

Abbott was referring to Sittingbourne’s impressive 2-2 draw against big-spending Croydon Athletic at Bourne Park in their last game.

The Bourne faced an uphill struggle as they were 2-0 down at one stage, but goals from Matt Bourne and Elie Kayembe bagged the Kent side a point.

“A great result to be honest with you, I don’t know why we didn’t get three points,” came Abbott’s assessment on the game.

“First half we had four or five great chances and their keeper just pulled off some really good saves that obviously kept them in the game.

“I’m disappointed that we’re not putting our chances away and going in 0-0 at half-time.

And when asked his thoughts of going 2-0 down, Abbott replied, “It was one off them where we had most of the game and had all those chances. We always say if you don’t put your chances away you’d get punished and it looked like it was going that way.”

But Abbott was pleased with his side’s character, but was bemused when striker Tom Bradbrook was red-carded after 73 minutes for what the official club website match report described as “gesturing at fans.”

Abbott said, “Once we got a goal back straight away with Bourney (Matt Bourne), it looked like we could have got another one as well. We could have finished it off and won the game had Tom not got sent off!”

Abbott was not best pleased with the performance of referee, Michael O’Keefe.

“The referee did not give us anything Saturday,” he fumed.

“When we came off their supporter came up to me and said he was having a little bit of banter (with Tom),” claimed Abbott.

“Tom said something back to him but the ref’s changed his story as he said it was for swearing at the supporter and the linesman’s got involved with it.

“Not being funny,” added Abbott. “But how many people get sent off for that in the Premiership?

“We’ll try to appeal that as it’s bang out of order!

“I thought he was sent-off for swearing at the linesman. I’ve heard the story from the supporter and Tom. I thought it was harsh!

“It did kill us with him sent off. If we had eleven men we would have won the game, but then we could have won the game with ten men.

“It’s a great result but we should have got three points.”

Abbott takes his side down to Cheriton Road tomorrow with the confidence that is needed to string a run of good results together.

“I can’t fault the boys, the last three games I think we’ve been magnificent, especially Saturday. It seems like we’re getting better and better each week,” insisted Abbott.

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

Visit Sittingbourne’s website: www.sittingbournefc.co.uk

Folkestone Invicta v Sittingbourne

Ryman League Division One South

Tuesday 27th October 2009

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU