Folkestone Invicta 1-0 Harlow Town - Mev deserves his testimonial, says Cugley - EXCLUSIVE

The 26-year-old, older brother of team-mate James, chalked up his 258^th start for the club during today’s hard-fought win over Harlow Town.

Coca-Cola League One allies Gillingham are sending a select XI to the Buzzlines Stadium, here at Cheriton Road on Thursday, 1^st May.

And Cugley, speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards said: “I’ve been here eleven years and he’s been here a long time before I got here.

“I think he’s been here for fifteen years, never no trouble, a great lad, again proves me wrong when you leave him out he comes back into the side, he’s been left out a few times over the years but he always bounces back.

“A good trainer, always on time, a great club-man and I don’t think you’ll get a better person who deserves a testimonial, I really don’t!

“I don’t think of anyone better who deserves one better really. He lives in Folkestone as well, a Folkestone lad.

“A great credit to himself, how he conducts himself.

“The way he’s been playing at the moment, he’s playing ever so well. I’m hoping he’ll have another testimonial in another eight to ten years time.

“I’ve spoken to (Gillingham coach) Mark Patterson, just sorting things out. We’ll have a few guests hopefully, don’t want to say too much who it will be. They’ll be a few well known people as well playing from other local clubs.

“It will be an enjoyable evening and hopefully we’d have stayed up by them and we’ll have a nice spirit.”

Essex boys Harlow Town, however, didn’t enjoy a Good Friday, arriving at Cheriton Road just an hour before kick-off as their team coach failed to turn up.

Players and officials had to get back into their cars to make it down to the Kent coast and this set-back must have helped Folkestone Invicta secure a vital win in their bid to beat the drop.

Striker Leigh Bremner scored his eighth goal of the season - with just nine minutes and 50 seconds on the clock - as Cugley’s men climbed up two places into 16^th place in a tight Ryman Premier League table to join the Hawks on 44 points.

This game was played in blustery conditions, which spoilt this “six-pointer”, and proof of recent gales was evident as half the main stand was cordoned off to supporters as it was roofless.

Invicta are awaiting to hear from their insurance company to repair the damage but today’s victory gives the club a lift ahead of their trip to Hastings United on Easter Monday.

The east Sussex side remain in the bottom three, following their 3-1 defeat at Ashford Town (Middlesex) today.

This was a game of two halves as the wind made it difficult for players to express themselves.

But Folkestone had the better of the first half and although Harlow enjoyed plenty of second half possession, they failed to trouble teenage goalkeeper Luke Stonebridge.

And Cugley said: “I don’t think the wind helps anybody. I think the wind is the worst thing (as) it spoils football.

“In the years at Ashford, when we played on mud heaps, they were better games, more fun. The wind is just terrible, doesn’t suit anybody.”

The Kent side had taken the game to their opponents during the first half and Kevin Watson drove a right-footed shot past the post from thirty-yards early on.

Watson then whipped in a right-footed free-kick from the left but Bremner headed over from ten-yards.

But Bremner’s next attempt found the back of James Hassell’s net.

VITAL VICTORY: Leigh Bremner scored his 8th goal of the season as Folkestone Invicta sealed a 1-0 win over Harlow Town, making it a very Good Friday for Neil Cugley and his men.

Hassell came rushing off his line to ricochet Lloyd Blackman’s shot into the path of the former Cray Wanderers and Dulwich Hamlet striker who drilled the ball into the net from six-yards to the delight of the loyal Folkestone faithful.

Stonebridge, saving at the second attempt, was called into action when he prevented Kenny Davis from scoring with a left-footed stroked shot.

Folkestone Invicta were dominant in the wind and went on to create more chances.

Tom Webb’s right-footed drive from twenty-yards flashed past the foot of the post before Bremner cracked a right-footed half-volley wide.

Blackman then curled a shot just over the top of the far-post from 25-yards after 26 minutes and Glyde should have met Webb’s teasing far-post cross, but instead he ducked out of the way.

An alert Hassell was finally called into action after 38 minutes when the back peddling goalkeeper tipped Webb’s curling free-kick over his crossbar.

Webb whipped in the free-kick from the left channel after Blackman was fouled, earning Mark Taylor the first of three cards dished out by Ashford referee Mr Ian Regan.

Harlow, however, squandered two excellent chances to get on the score sheet with Henry Rhys skying his left-footed shot over the crossbar following a superb diagonal pass from Leon Lalite.

And skipper James Bunn blazed over when he nipped in front of Folkestone defender Liam Friend.

Although Harlow pegged the Kent side back in their half during the second half, they failed to trouble Stonebridge and often their balls were over-hit and rolled out for numerous goal-kicks.

Their best second half chance, however, arrived after 12 minutes when Bunn brought Laite’s left-wing cross under control with his chest before scissor-kicking a volley high and wide.

And when Harlow’s Taylor drilled a 35-yard free-kick into Stonebridge’s grateful arms after 63 minutes, that was the last action until late on.

Harlow had forced four late corners but Stonebridge easily plucked the balls out of the air.

The youngster made comfortable saves from Bunn and Lalite, which were sandwiched between the Kent side’s second chance of the half when Hassell made a comfortable save from Blackman’s right-footed drive from 30-yards.

Despite the dour affair, Cugley was delighted with the three points that ease relegation fears for the time being.

He said: “It wasn’t pretty in the end but I thought we deserved to win with the way we played first half.

“Although we only got the one goal, I thought we had a lot more shots than they did and on another day a couple could easily have gone in the top corner, just went wide.

“Disappointed not to come in maybe two-nil up at half-time and then I thought second half they really didn’t look like scoring. We defended very well, Luke Stonebridge had a good game, good hands in goal.

“It was a bit dour second half but sometimes I’m afraid you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”

Stonebridge, who has been drafted into the first team due to Charlie Mitten breaking his arm in a freak accident at home, has bounced back from the 4-1 defeat at Billericay Town just two games ago to have a real chance of being Invicta’s number one next term.

“His handling was outstanding, played very well,” praised Cugley. “He’s still a teenager, a great prospect.

“It was a problem because the Billericay game he didn’t play too well and we were obviously a bit worried to chuck him in and failing.

“He won’t fail long-term, he’s going to be a great prospect but we were worried he might be a bit down but he’s come back, he’s played well at Hendon (a 2-2 draw) and played well today.”

Folkestone Invicta: Luke Stonebridge, Kevin Watson, Roland Edge, Liam Friend, Micheal Everitt, Samuel Kola Okikiolu, Charlie Glyde, Tom Webb (Frankie Chappell 82), James Everitt, Lloyd Blackman, Leigh Bremner.
Subs: Rob Knott, Liam Dickson, John Ovard, Seb Barton.

Goal: Leigh Bremner 10

Booked: James Everitt 59, Lloyd Blackman 81

Harlow Town: James Hassell, Kenny Davis (Clark Akers 86), Mark Taylor (James Lindie 75), Beckett Hollenbach, Ryan Kirby, Danny Chapman, Leon Lalite, Danny Green, James Bunn, Jordan Fowler, Henry Rhys.
Subs: Shaun Gliddon, David Obaze, Michael Dumovlin.

Booked: Mark Taylor 37, Kenny Davis 77

Attendance: 278
Referee: Mr Ian Regan (Ashford)
Assistants: Mr Mark Huggins (Tunbridge Wells) & Mr Leigh Crowhurst (Uckfield, east Sussex)


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