Folkestone prepare for their "little Cup final"

Folkestone Invicta travel to Carshalton Athletic tomorrow for their last match in the Ryman Premier League, writes Andy Bown & Tom Marchant.

With the Seasiders hovering just above the relegation zone, fourth from bottom, a win will secure Ryman Premier League football next season although anything less will depend on other results across this part of the non league pyramid.

“I think the nice thing is that it is still in our hands,” manager Neil Cugley told www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk:  “If we couldn’t do anything about it then it would be slightly worrying and it would be a different scenario but I’m comfortable with the fact it’s down to us and that means we’ve got to go get the points.

“I still think that maybe even a draw will be enough because Harrow have got a very tough game at Chelmsford who still have everything to play for in the play offs, and there’s a couple of teams in the Northern League with tough games so there’s a big chance for us to reach safety Saturday.”

The Seasiders will be buoyed by the return of top scorer Ellis Remy to the forward line after illness (pneumonia), whilst fellow striker Paul Jones will still be missing from the Invicta squad (groin). Player-coach Mark Saunders is suspended, with his place in midfield likely to be taken by the in form James Corbett.

“In some ways you’ve got to look forward to it”, said Cugley. “It’s our little cup final. Its come down to the last game and even though I didn’t want this to happen, it’s up to us to get something out of the game. I’m a little bit apprehensive because we don’t score a lot of goals but we’ve got to be positive and enjoy the match as much as we can.”

“Carshalton have got nothing to play for so to speak but we’ve had them watched a couple of times and they can be a good team. I think they’re a lot like us, playing well and getting results – maybe a little more than us recently – but they can also be inconsistent and we’ve got to stop them performing and get right at them from the start.”

The supporters coach for Carshalton currently being organised by Derek Miller, has now been upgraded to a double decker after the first coach was quickly filled.

There are still some places left on the coach and interested supporters should either get in touch with Derek (07748 560172) or risk turning up on the day where it will be first come first served. The cost is £10 per head, leaving Stripes Club on Saturday at 12:00.

“It’s going to help the players enormously and as I’ve said before our away support has been tremendous throughout the season,” praised Cugley. “When you think of the percentage that go to our away games and then turn up to our homes games it is incredible and the 70 or 80 plus fans that always turn up wherever we go is a huge boost and to have over a 100 going Saturday will mean it’s up to us to give them something to cheer about.

“We’ve got to get them on our side and I want them to be really vocal but we’ve got to give them something to cheer about and get the win for them.

“We’re trying to look at it as any other game, whether it be Chelmsford or Bromley which we have won, we’ve got to have a high tempo and get tight to their players when they’re attacking and really get players in the box.

“I don’t want to go there and just get a draw which may be enough to keep us up, I want to finish the season on a high and win.”

Folkestone were left gutted last weekend at home to Horsham, where after dominating proceedings for the entire match, the much travelled Kevin Cooper scored in the final minutes of the match to send Horsham home with all three points.

Cugley said: “I’m sorry for the players really because they worked so hard and they didn’t deserve to lose and we had the chances to win it really. The commitment and the fight was there from the players and hopefully they’ll show that Saturday

“It was just disappointing that we missed a few chances and as a manager one thing you do is ask that the players give everything in these circumstances and I definitely thought they did do that. It was a hammer blow to give everything and for them to go and score such a quality goal but sometimes there’s not a lot you can do about those; it was just an excellent finish, which I didn’t feel they deserved at all.”

Solid defender Samuel Kola Okikiolu swept away most of the end-of-season awards last weekend, picking up three; the Herald trophy, players player of the year and supporters player of the year.

Fellow North London resident Ellis Remy picked up goal of the season for a spectacular 40 yard strike against Hampton & Richmond Borough whilst impressive teenage centre back Liam Friend won young player of the year. The consistently excellent on loan goalkeeper Richard Martin also picked up a bottle for his impressive efforts between the sticks.

Cugley pointed out about Kola: “Even in the first spell that he had with us he showed that he was a very committed player and he’s a real out and out defender who just goes for the ball and clears it and nothing else.

“He just gives everything he has 100% of the time and that goes back to his debut against Dartford in the League Cup I think it was when we were injury time and he was still battling away in the 120^th minute.

“It was a shame when he had to release him and Ellis because I don’t believe we would be in the situation we are in now if we’d kept them both back then”.

After the weekend action, debate will surely centre around on and off the field developments for next season.

“Obviously goal scoring has been a problem all year really but there have been certain times when luck hasn’t gone our way but you’ve got to make up for that by creating more chances and I don’t feel we create enough chances and it’s something I want to improve on in the summer,” said Cugley.

“A better pitch will make for better football and it’s not very good at the moment but we aren’t the only club with such a dry pitch.

“The dry spell as it is makes it difficult to keep grass on it and whereas a few weeks ago it was bad now it’s bad because of the weather.

“We need to discuss what is done over the summer with regards to the pitch and we’ll see what funds are available.”

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

Carshalton Athletic v Folkestone Invicta
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 28^th April 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Colston Avenue, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 2PW