It's our most important game for a while, says Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says his squad should be as strong as at any time this season to take on Sittingbourne at Cheriton Road tomorrow.


Cugley believes that a win might well be enough to ensure a place in the end-of-season play-offs.
Folkestone have only two more games in their regular season following the demise of Croydon Athletic – who Invicta were due to play in the final home game of this campaign on April 28 - while their rivals for the play-off places all have three to go.

But Monday’s comfortable Easter derby win at Hythe Town has seen Cugley’s side open up a six point gap over the likes of Worthing and Maidstone United which gives them a bit of breathing space in the bid to achieve their stated pre-season objective.

“It’s our most important game for a while,” Cugley told www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk.

“I can’t see any of our rivals winning all the three games that they’ve got left and three more points should mean that we’re in the play-offs again.”

Folkestone’s recent record against Sittingbourne is, however, not as good as anyone connected with the club would like and, looking back to a 2-0 defeat at Bourne Park – now admittedly seven months ago – the manager admitted: “We didn’t play well up there. We went a goal down and tried to chase the game and they scored a second goal right at the end.

“Their pitch was awful on the day, but we won’t have that as an excuse on Saturday and we’ll be all out for a win.”

Striker Stuart King and club captain Micheal Everitt are both available after suspension while Cugley also hopes to have the vastly experienced Lee Gledhill and Roland Edge also in the squad.

Gledhill played both games over the Easter weekend without wages as a favour to the manager while Edge had apparently said farewell to the club after netting the winning goal in another memorable victory at Worthing two weeks ago.

“Edgey had taken a cut to help us out but we’d agreed that he’d go before Easter,” said Cugley.

“He loves it here, though, and it looks likely he’ll be back this weekend. I’m hoping to talk to Gleds again later today and hopefully we’ll have him again, too.”

Gledhill was a key man in both last weekend’s victories which extended Folkestone’s winning run to four games after the disappointing defeats at Walton & Hersham – where striker King’s highly controversial dismissal proved the turning point sent – and then 1-0 at home to bottom of the table Whyteleafe.

Cugley will also look at the situation regarding young Dartford forward Jack Pallen, signed on dual-registration forms, primarily more with a view to acting as cover for possible play-off matches.

The lively Pallen, who has had loan spells with VCD Athletic and Thamesmead Town this season, showed a good touch and awareness in the first half at Hythe but the half-time introduction of Damien Abel allowed James Everitt to push forward – a switch that had a real some bearing on the outcome as the visitors took control with two goals in quick succession from Darren Marsden and Josh Burchell.

Sittingbourne currently lie just three places off the bottom of the Ryman League Division One South table – and won’t make it easy for Folkestone – a side they seem to have held something of a hold over for the last two or three seasons.

They are desperate to above relegation and will surely be scrapping for every point they can get.

Now under the charge of player-manager Joe Dowley, they are skippered by one-time Invicta midfielder Anthony Hogg and still possess dangerous forwards like Hicham Akhazzan, Elie Kayembe and Bradley Spice.

This looks as awkward a fixture as Folkestone could have wanted and the manager said: “It’s our last home game of the season, our most important game for a while, and we need everyone to get behind us.”

With no match on the final day of the campaign following Croydon Athletic’s withdrawal from the league, Folkestone Invicta end a good and largely enjoyable season at Chipstead on April 21.

Article courtesy of www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk  

Folkestone Invicta  v Sittingbourne
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 14^th April 2012
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU