Cugley looks to remove Staines

Neil Cugley’s side will be keen to make amends from the last League game, where a streak of four consecutive wins was ended at Ramsgate and the Seasiders came home with none of the points.

Folkestone’s squad has changed since that League match, with defender Samuel Kola Okikiolu and striker Ellis Remy released last weekend, but with promising utility player Luke Howell coming in from Gillingham for a month on loan and tough defender Roy Guiver coming in from local neighbours Hythe Town.

Invicta played Staines towards the end of October in the FA Trophy, where a goal from skipper Adam Flanagan ensured Folkestone progressed through to the next round.

Saturday’s hosts are no longer in that competition and Cugley commented: “I thought Billericay was a really good game. I knew a couple of ex footballers that had come along and they said what a great game it was and that it was really entertaining.

“The only difference between us and them was our finishing. The quality of their finishing on all three of their goals was excellent and I felt we had more chances than they did and better ones at that. We just didn’t put them away.”

The final score against Billericay ended 3-2 to the visitors and although Remy and Flanagan had twice put Invicta ahead in the first half, full time side Billericay came back with two goals in the last twenty minutes.

Cugley said: “At half time I told the players to keep plugging along as we were doing alright but I did feel we needed another goal if we were going to go on and win the game outright.

“We’ve been a bit unlucky in the past two games (against Ramsgate and Billericay) because we’ve had the most influential players in each match come off with injuries.

“Michael Everitt had to come off last Saturday and then Mark (Saunders) had to come off against Billericay and I felt with him we really would’ve gone on to win the game.

“We lost a bit of shape in midfield and we lost Mark’s experience in there and it’s disappointing to lose important players like those in such vital games.”

Saunders should make his return to the starting line up this Saturday for the Staines game, after missing the Kent Senior Cup match against Ashford Town in the week through a nose injury sustained against Ramsgate.

Invicta have no fresh injury worries going into the match and quick forward Walid Matata got 120 minutes of match action against Ashford that should boost his return to full fitness.

A superb header from Matata on Monday night from a Steve Norman cross from the left showed he is capable of firing in the goals to push Invicta further up the Ryman Premier table.

New signing Roy Guiver is likely to continue at the back alongside Flanagan and Liam Friend.

In form reserve midfielder Simon Rainbow and fellow reserve players Chris Fagg and Leon Dix will be keen to make the bench in Cugley’s squad, hoping to get a chance to impress the Invicta manager.

Cugley said: “On the whole we’ve got an important month coming up in the League which starts with Staines this Saturday. Yes we’ve got a small squad but we can, and we will, roll our sleeves up and work as hard as we can.

“It remains to be seen how much quality we’ve got to really make an impact this month but we’ve always had a great team spirit with the squad we’ve got and this is where it’ll show how much it’s worth.”

Staines lie one place above Invicta in the League table and the two sides are separated by two points.

In their five away games this season Staines have lost three and won two – against Worthing and Walton and Hersham, both sides who are below Invicta in the Ryman Premier table.

“Well against Billericay we met a side on a hell of a run but I felt at 2-1 if we had got the third then we definitely would’ve won because Billericay weren’t causing us too many problems,” said Cugley.

“I thought we played well and considering the gulf in cash at the two clubs I thought we more than matched them and we created chances – we’ve just got to stick them away and we’ll be certainly looking to do that against Staines in front of our fans”.

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