Kentish Football 
We’ve got to keep improving and learn from our mistakes, says Folkestone boss Neil Cugley
Monday 23rd August 2010
FOLKESTONE INVICTA travel to Aveley tonight after they marked their return to the Ryman Premier League with a 2-0 home defeat to fellow promoted side Croydon Athletic at the weekend, writes Tom Marchant.
Croydon Athletic invested heavily over the pre-season with a revamped playing squad in stark contrast to Invicta who fielded a familiar starting line up albeit with the inclusion of new player-coach Roland Edge in midfield and the return of Paul Jones in attack. Trialist Adam Slegg also featured in midfield.
Cugley told www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk : “I think we were beaten by a better side who have far more quality than us with a squad with real depth and I think you can see they'll be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
“I thought we allowed them to get the ball down too easily and they caused our defence real problems from the start. Defensively we need to learn fast as the players in this league are stronger, more experienced and with more quality and they come straight at you from the off and in that sense it will be very different from last season.
“It didn't come as a shock to me but I think it may have been for some of the players but to be fair because of the problems with the pitch we weren't able to play better sides at home during pre season like your Gillingham’s, Welling’s and by playing those sort of sides you're forced into chasing the ball and working harder by being tested against better players. At this level once you lose the ball it's very difficult to get it back and I think the players felt it after the match.”
Folkestone went into the encounter missing industrious captain Micheal Everitt and new signing Rob Kember (suspensions) whilst Josh Burchell was away and James Everitt was sidelined with a back injury, who has started light training and is due to be assessed again on Thursday to see whether he will make the squad for the trip to Sutton United next Saturday.
“First half Jack Delo kept us in it with some outstanding saves otherwise the game could have really been beyond us,” admitted Cugley. “Defensively we were better second half and we had a couple of half chances where perhaps if one had gone in you think you might be able to nick something – I'm not saying we deserved it but it does happen like that sometimes.”
For tonight's trip to Aveley the absent trio of Everitt, Kember and Birchall will all make their returns to the squad where the Invicta boss is certain to change his starting line up.
Luke Webb impressed the manager after coming on at half time and is in contention for a starting berth on Monday.
“We need Mev and Kems back in as I thought we missed their energy about the field and both are more than capable of passing the ball about. We needed to stop Croydon playing a lot more than we did and although they're a good side, I think we didn't make things hard enough for them.”
Asked about rumours surrounding striker Jimmy Dryden and a knee injury picked up on Thursday night during training, Cugley said the prognosis was currently unclear.
Cugley said: “I thought he did really well on Monday night at Chatham and then on Thursday in training he picked up the injury to his knee. I really don't know how things will turn out and at the moment it is wait and see whilst he rests it. He's obviously got problems there and it might be a case where we have to go a season without him, it's too early to tell though.
“I think we miss Ratty (James Everitt) too and his enthusiasm and whilst we want to play football and get the ball about, there is another side to it when we haven't got the ball and we need to put the pressure on other sides to make things difficult for them. I thought Jonesy did well but he lacked support and we need to get people up around him so we can hurt teams higher up the pitch.”
The trip to Aveley on Monday is followed by another away outing to promotion contenders Sutton United on Saturday.
“And then after Saturday we play Tonbridge, so it's a very hard start when we're playing sides that will be looking to challenge this season.
“Whilst it was disappointing to lose and the result does ruin your weekend, I was pleased that people kept encouraging the players and that's what we must keep doing. I've got to keep encouraging them and for a lot of them it is a massive jump from where they were eighteen months ago.
“We've got to keep improving, keep learning from our mistakes and we need to adjust quickly to what is going to be a tough season.”
Article courtesy of www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk
Aveley v Folkestone Invicta
Ryman Premier League
Monday 23rd August 2010
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Mill Field, Mill Road, Aveley, Essex RM15 4SJ
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd