Folkestone Invicta 2-4 Carshalton Athletic. I need cash or we will go down,warns Cugley - EXCLUSIVE

FOLKESTONE INVICTA 2-4 CARSHALTON ATHLETIC
Saturday 16^th December 2006
Ryman Premier League
Stephen McCartney reports from Buzzlines Stadium

Neil Cugley has warned fans that if he is not given funds to improve his team then Folkestone Invicta will be relegated from the Ryman Premier League.

Cugley, taking charge of the Cheriton Road club for the 500^th time today, saw his side take a deserved 2-0 lead just after half-time but injuries to key players took their toll and his inexperienced team capitulated by conceding four second half goals.

It was the second time in seven days that Folkestone Invicta leaked four goals at the Buzzlines Stadium and Cugley warned his side will struggle in their last 22 league outings if he is denied funds.

Folkestone remain in the bottom eight and are nine points above the drop zone but all things looked bright when central defender Adam Flanagan, top scorer on seven goals, and former Hythe Town striker Damian Abel gave the cash-strapped Kent club the advantage.

Carshalton Athletic, who started the game in the bottom five, had goalkeeper Paul Seuke to thank for keeping his side in the game with a string of fine first half saves.

The 23-year-old was called into action after nine minutes when he palmed Micheal Everitt’s powerful drive over the bar after James Everitt drilled in a cross from the right.

Paul Lamb, returning to the club after leaving in September to join league rivals Ramsgate, sent over the resulting corner and Flanagan’s looping header was once again pushed out by the alert stopper.

Abel squandered an excellent chance to open the scoring when he shot straight at Seuke.

Folkestone goalkeeper Tony Kessell was called into action after 21 minutes when he clawed out a looping header from towering centre forward Luke Fontana.

Eben Allen, who latched onto David Graves’ through ball, was thwarted by Kessell, who advanced off his line to turn the ball around his near post.

But captain Flanagan handed the Kent side the lead after 33 minutes from the penalty spot.

The influential player drove a right-footed penalty straight down the middle as he sent Seuke the wrong way.

Folkestone squandered an excellent chance to double their lead and this miss was to prove costly later on.

After bombing down the right hand side, James Everitt cut the ball back to Abel but he blazed over from eight-yards.

But Abel made amends when he scored his second goal following his switch from Kent League neighbours Hythe Town just 128 seconds into the second half.

Abel latched onto a defence splitting ball from Ben Sly through the heart of the Carshalton defence and kept his composure to slot home.

But when Flanagan put through his own net after 52 minutes that was the spark that the Surrey visitors needed.

And injuries to Paul Jones (groin), Adam Flanagan (stomach), Mark Saunders (knock) and Sly (calf) was to prove to be Folkestone's downfall.

Carshalton’s Mark Marshall impressed throughout and after cutting inside his left-footed drive from 18-yards rolled wide.

After bursting down the right flank, and cutting inside, Abel forced Seuke into another fine save when he tipped the shot around the post.

After allegedly swearing at his team during the break in the warmth of the dressing room, Carshalton manager Dave Garland sent his team out - minus Seuke - out on the pitch with at least ten minutes of the interval remaining to discuss tactics with a member of their coaching staff.

But it certainly did the trick as three goals in a devastating spell handed his side all three points.

Allen captalised on slack defending to score the equaliser after 67 minutes when he blasted the ball past Gravesend based goalkeeper Kessell.

Invicta substitute Jimmy Corbett teed up a chance for youngster Simon Rainbow but his 25-yard shot lacked conviction and rolled to Seuke.

Kessell was, however, at fault for the visitors’ last two goals when he dived to his right to get a hand to Marshall’s drilled left-footed shot from 25-yards but the ball found the corner.

And Kesell gave away a penalty just two minutes later and Allen followed Flanagan’s lead by driving the ball straight down the middle from the spot.

Allen almost netted his hat-trick late on when he turned over Alhajie Jabbie’s near post cross from the right.

But Invicta boss Cugley had nothing to celebrate after his 500^th game in charge of the club.

Tonbridge Angels, who lost 4-1 at home to Horsham today to lose their fourth successive game, visit the Buzzlines Stadium on Boxing Day but Cugley takes his side to Horsham, who are just one point off top spot in third, in seven days time.

“We’re struggling with numbers,” admitted Cugley in an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“I was delighted for an hour, thought we looked sharp, busy, and then Paul Jones come off with a bad groin, Ben Sly’s come off with a calf, Adam Flanagan’s come off with a stomach injury (which) he’s been carrying for a couple of weeks now - he hasn’t trained for 2-3 weeks - and to be fair people like Mark Saunders are playing through when he should not be playing as well.

“It’s a sheer lack of numbers really. As I say for an hour I was pleased. The last half hour we were all over the place really.

“It’s hard work for everybody at the club at the moment with what’s gone on. No disrespect to the side that finished (they) wouldn’t finish half way up the Kent League I think.”

Cugley cannot wait until the six-man takeover bid of the Cheriton Road club is finalised.

“I just hope it doesn’t drag on and drag on,” he said. You keep saying players are going to come in but at the moment no monies or funds are even available.

“No disrespect, the bench we’ve had on today, we’ve had to put players on, even like Jimmy Corbett’s got a bad thigh but he’s had to come on and all the rest are kids and it showed.

“If we are not careful we will definitely get relegated and that will be so disappointing.”

With ten years in the hot-seat, Cugley has been fought against the odds before.

““I think this is the hardest it’s ever been,” he admitted. “Even when we were in the Southern League premier we were bottom we did have players like (John) Guest, (Allan) Tait and (James) Dryden who were all going to get better.

“So you had a bit of a buzz as you knew next year we’d do really well but at the moment its really hard work.

“But to be fair (Damian) Abel had a super game today and Liam Friend. They’re going to be good players but we just need better players around them, really fit ones.”

Cugley is desperate for the new investors to come in quickly and hand him an open cheque book and crowds need to double to enable him to sign more experienced players.

When asked if the cash-strapped club can remain in the division, Cugley replied: “Yes, as long as we can get some money.”