Redhill 0-1 Folkestone Invicta - Hopefully we can make Folkestone a bigger club again - Neil Cugley

REDHILL  0-1  FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 15^th October 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Kiln Brow

FOLKESTONE INVICTA manager Neil Cugley praised his players’ for their togetherness after they claimed their first points on the road at the fifth attempt.

Folkestone Invicta travelled to Surrey and climbed up to sixteenth-place in the Ryman League Division One South table after collecting their fourteenth point from their 12^th game after striker Johan Ter Horst, 18, slotted home the winning goal five minutes before the break.

“To be fair, I didn’t realise until then that we haven’t won away and have not got any points because we’ve played alright,” admitted Cugley after their fourth league win of the season.

“We were a little bit compact today, a bit like our old self, how we played before. We didn’t give a lot away.

“I think the keeper’s made one save in the early few minutes. Apart from that they never had a chance really.

“We gave nothing away, defended brilliantly and did well with the goal.”

Redhill, who went into this game sitting in eight-place in the table with 18 points from 12 games following promotion from the Sussex County League as runners-up to Peacehaven & Telscombe, created the first chance.

Niall Egan’s through ball brought a mistake by Folkestone Invicta central defender Liam Friend and Tre Mitford was put through on goal but he was denied by a smart save by Tim Roberts, who got down low to his left to make the block.

Cugley confirmed that Matt Newman, who missed this game with bruised ribs, helped bring Roberts to the club.

Cugley added: “Liam Friend made his only mistake of the night and the lad’s gone through and it was an important save.  To be fair to the lad (Roberts), he’s not had many shots in games. Luckily he’s not had much to do so when he has been called on to do things he’s done it really well.  I like the lad, he’s done us proud so far.  He’s done well.”

Former Bromley goalkeeper Max Huxter, 18, kept Redhill in the game with two saves, the second one simply brilliant.

Folkestone Invicta left-back Chris Elliot clipped the ball down the line to striker Simon Austin, who hooked the ball back to Ter Horst, who took a touch before stroking a right-footed curler towards the bottom near corner, which Huxter got down low to his right to push around the post.

Elliott swung in the corner from the left and Frankie Chappell came up from the back to plant his header towards the top corner, but Huxter pulled off a world-class save, diving to his right to tip the ball over the bar.

Cugley said: “That was a great save!  A great corner in from Elliott and Frankie’s got a great header. It was a good save. I thought it was going in the top corner – that was a great save and obviously that kept them in it really.”

Folkestone Invicta were awarded a free-kick on the half-hour mark, which Phil Stevenson blasted high over the Redhill crossbar and out of the ground.

A corner from the right from Michael Yianni was swung into the near post where Micheal Everitt hit a shot on the turn which screamed down Huxter’s throat at the near post.

But Folkestone Invicta scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the 40^th minute.

Elliott played a brilliant 40-yard left-footed pass which split open Bradley Duke and Jon Boswell to release Ter Horst, who raced forward, rounded the advancing Huxter before taking a touch to settle himself and slotting his right-footed shot into the bottom far corner of the net, narrowly missing the foot of the far post.

Reflecting on the finish, Cugley said: “Not many people can do that! The Stuart King’s, maybe, of the world.

“Johan’s one of those, for a lad of eighteen, it was a great finish. He’s not the player he was at the moment because he’s had his injuries and that and it’s taken him time to get going but a great finish.”

Cugley also praised the pass from former Canterbury City left-back Elliott.

“The Elliott lad has played well because he’s been out. He hasn’t really played. He got suspended, got a silly sending off and that’s his first game for a little while and I thought he was very good.”

Former Folkestone Invicta midfielder Ryan Briggs swung in a free-kick from within the fog down the inside left-channel but Joe Bingham powered a looping header narrowly over the crossbar for Redhill just before the break.

When asked what his thoughts were at the break, Cugley replied: “Just keep plugging away really, get tight in midfield. I felt they bossed the midfield a bit first half without creating much, thank goodness.

“I had a bit of a moan about that. I thought Michael Yianni had a quiet first half, done really well in there second half and Micheal Everitt was really good in there.”

Cugley admitted Ter Horst should have done better when he was released through on goal in the 56^th minute but instead of taking the ball further forward he opted to stroke a right-footed drive straight at Huxter from 30-yards.

Cugley said: “He’s a bit rusty at the moment and another week or so he’ll be taking that on – it will come!”

Redhill went agonisingly close to equalising on the hour mark when substitute Rob Hill whipped in a cross from the left but the unmarked Gustavo Sousa-Mota looped his header on top of the crossbar and over for a goal-kick from six-yards.

Cugley said: “Once we got the goal, I didn’t think they would score. I just felt we looked strong and if anything, I felt we could nick one really. 

“It wasn’t really like a header you’d say smacked the bar or anything like that or was going in. Even so, we defended well.”

Folkestone Invicta hit The Lobsters on the break with fifteen minutes remaining when substitute Dane Luchford swept a pass from central midfield to release Ter Horst down the right.

The teenage striker cut inside and stroked his right-footed shot towards the bottom near corner, which the highly-rated Huxted dived to push around his near post.

Redhill pressed for a late equaliser but the well-drilled Folkestone Invicta back four consisting of Elliott, Friend, Chappell and Josh Vincent were solid. An example of this was that Redhill were caught offside on nine occasions during the game.

Redhill substitute Matt Robinson hooked a speculative shot into Roberts’ gloves, before substitute Chris Gregson played the ball into Matt Robinson, who drilled a right-footed shot straight at Roberts from 30-yards.

Redhill continued to press for a late leveller and that goal almost arrived when Briggs swung in a corner from the right and central defender John Difford came up from the back and saw his header sail across goal and agonisingly wide of the far post.

When asked what pleased him tonight, the Folkestone Invicta boss replied: “Togetherness really. We’ve had a lot of players come and go, a hell of a lot of players have come and go.  There’s the togetherness and work rate that we put in today. We know that we can play football. We’re a good footballing side, pass the ball for fun but sometimes you’ve got to do the other side of things and I thought we did that well today.”

A sparse crowd of 104 watched tonight game due to people watching England’s 2-0 win over Poland at Wembley Stadium, a result that sent Roy Hodgson’s men to Brazil for next summer’s World Cup.

Half of the crowd at Kiln Brow had travelled up from Kent and Cugley was quick to praise the fans for making the effort.

“Difference class really. That’s why we want to do better for Folkestone and get us up the league because they’re tremendous people,” said Cugley.

“With England live on the television, they’ve driven all the way down here to see us and our fans are tremendous.  Hopefully we’ll have some good news for them in the next few weeks to say the club is pushing on and that will be nice.”

When asked to elaborate on that, Cugley continued: “Just new people getting involved and we just want to push the club on now.  We’ve not had new owners at all. It’s not new owners, it’s more to do with sponsorship.  The club will still be run the same but what it means is we’ll be generating, hopefully, more money.

“We’ve got rid of the debut, we’ve worked so hard. We knew it was a two-year operation and really it’s only taken nearly eighteen months to tidy it all up so we’re getting there.”

When asked how long it will be to be in a position to challenge for promotion into the Ryman Premier League, Cugley said: “I think next year if I’m being honest. This year is going to be difficult. We’ll try and get to the play-offs.

“There will be news that will come out, a little bit positive out of Folkestone over the next few weeks, next few months. Hopefully we can make Folkestone a bigger club again!”

Reflecting on the dark days at Cheriton Road, Cugley said: “It’s been hard. There’s been some really difficult times. I think 15-16 months ago I just didn’t think the club would survive. The secretary had left, the chairman had left. We had a tax bill and to be fair to a couple of people they helped us out and it’s been a hard slog but we’ve done it!

“We’ve got through last year by selling players and getting to the play-offs and making money out of that and lots of good news for Folkestone fans and that will be nice.”

Back to matters back on the pitch, Folkestone Invicta are now eight points adrift of fifth-placed Peacehaven & Telscombe and the club have 34 league games left to play.

“There’s just so many games – there’s 46 games in it this year and we’ve just got to keep plugging away,” said Cugley.  “Keep winning games and I don’t think we’ll be far away.”

Meanwhile, Cugley confirmed that substitute Jake Beecroft only lasted thirteen minutes owing to a tight hamstring.

Redhill: Max Huxter, Bradley Duke, Sean Kelly, Ryan Briggs, John Difford, Jon Boswell (Rob Hill 46), Niall Egan, Gustavo Sousa-Mota (Chris Gregson 76), Tre Mitford (Matt Robinson 69), Joe Bingham, Ashley-Paul Robinson.
Subs: Kevant Sebony, Josh Bonnett

Booked: Niall Egan 29, John Difford 51, Gustavo Sousa-Mota 63

Folkestone Invicta: Tim Roberts, Josh Vincent, Chris Elliott, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Nat Blanks (Jake Beecroft 58, Dane Luchford 71), Simon Austin, Phil Stevenson, Johan Ter Horst, Michael Yianni, Micheal Everitt.
Subs: Roddy Hayward, Roland Edge, Iswar Tamang

Goal: Johan Ter Horst 40

Booked: Micheal Everitt 37

Attendance: 104
Referee: Mr Graham Kane (Brighton, East Sussex)
Assistants: Mr John Nasari (Battersea, London SW11) & Mr Errol Walker (Colliers Wood, London SW19)