Folkestone Invicta 2-0 Horsham - We're both keen to make a success of it and we've followed on from an exceptional manager and now it's down to us to carry Cugs' legacy on and try to get success, says Folkestone Invicta joint-manager Roland Edge

Folkestone Invicta 2 – 0 Horsham
Location	Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU
Kickoff	29/10/2022 15:00

FOLKESTONE INVICTA  2-0  HORSHAM
The Isuzu FA Trophy First Round
Saturday 29 October 2022
Stephen McCartney reports from Cheriton Road

FOLKESTONE INVICTA’S newly-appointed joint-manager Roland Edge dedicated their FA Trophy victory over Horsham to Neil Cugley, who stepped down as manager on Wednesday to move upstairs.

Cugley, 65, was appointed manager in 1997 and went on to take charge of 1,299 competitive games and suggested that his assistant manager, Edge, and player-coach Micheal Everitt should take joint-charge of team affairs until the end of the season.

Chairman Paul Morgan parted company with the club earlier in the month, leaving the club debt free but with a shortfall to make up, although that figure has not been disclosed.

The Edge and Everitt era got off to a winning start as their side booked their place in The FA Trophy Second Round, thanks to two very late goals from substitute striker Ibrahim Olutade’s sixth goal of the season and talisman striker Ade Yusuff notching his 12^th goal of the campaign.

Dom Di Paola’s side arrived at Cheriton Road sitting in eighth-place in the Isthmian League Premier Division with 18 points from 13 games and they beat Aveley 4-3 in the last round.

Folkestone Invicta went into the game sitting in 16^th place in the table with 14 points from 11 games and suffered back-to-back defeats to Kingstonian (0-2) and Carshalton Athletic (0-1) on Monday night, which turned out to be Cugley’s last game in charge.

Folkestone Invicta needed penalties (4-3) to see off Whitehawk in the last round after their tie finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and this game was heading towards that conclusion if it wasn’t for the Kent side scoring their goals with 41:39 and 43:59 on the second half clock.

When asked about Cugley’s decision to step down as manager, Edge said: “It’s been really, really hard to be honest.  I mean Cugs has been a great man for me.  My professional career finished early and I came here and played and I don’t think I would’ve played if it wasn’t for Cugs.

“He’s got something special about him, like he makes you want to do stuff and he brings a cohesion to a team that I haven’t seen before.

“Any special day here they’ll be players that were here 15 years’ ago up in that bar supporting him and you don’t get that unless you’re a really good guy, so it’s a shame that he’s gone but 26 years is a fair bit of torture in management but he’s been nice enough to let me and Mev (Everitt) have a chance.”

Edge was then asked what was said to the squad that Cugley assembled, before today’s match.

“It has been a bit of a shock. The thing is all those boys in there, they never mean to play badly for Cugs, they’ve all got the utmost respect for him and I think today showed that really.  I’d like to say that was for me and Mev but today was ‘a this is for you Cugs!’

“I think it weren’t a brilliant game but we were definitely solid and worked hard and I think that won us the game in the end.”

When asked about working with fellow long-servant Everitt as joint-managers, Edge replied: “In all honesty, I couldn’t pick a better man to do it with. We’ve got a lot of respect for each other.

“We have a lot of the same views. We’re both keen to make a success of it and we’ve followed on from an exceptional manager. We couldn’t have been schooled by a better manager and now it’s down to me and Mev to try to carry Cugs’ legacy and try to get success.”

Edge now knows how David Moyes felt when he replaced Sir Alex Ferguson in the dug-out at Manchester United when the Scot retired in May 2013.

“I think they’re massive shoes.  It’s quite a big thing to compare it to Alex Ferguson but in non-league it is like that.  He wasn’t just a manager here.  He dedicated his life in football pretty much to getting Folkestone up, better facilities, a bigger youth team. We have scholars here now. It wouldn’t have happened without Cugs. 

“Cugs isn’t just the manager. He does everything. He probably cuts the grass and you think I’m joking. He just does everything here and he always has done and that’s what the man’s about.”

Folkestone Invicta started the game on the front foot and created their first chance after only 64 seconds.

Right-wing-back Scott Heard slipped a low free-kick into Yusuff inside the box and he cut the ball back to Heard, whose initial drive was blocked.  His second bite of the cherry saw him cut the ball onto his left-foot before floating the ball into the corridor of uncertainty where Ian Gayle (who played in the heart of a three-man defence) planted his free header over the crossbar.

“I thought we came out of the traps well,” said Edge.

“I thought the shape was good. It was quite nice, Gayley said ‘no, I sweep, I’ll do that job,’

“Heardy, who for me will probably be close to a League footballer playing right-wing-back, he went out there and said ‘I’ll do a shift’ and I thought we came out, we all wanted the ball and put them under pressure straight away.”

Gayle fed the ball out to Heard (who impressed during the first half) and he cut in before playing a square pass to Kadell Daniel – who played behind the front two of Yusuff and Draycott.

Daniel was outside the box and he chipped the ball over to the unmarked Draycott, who brought the ball down with his chest before hitting a shot towards the bottom near corner, which forced Horsham goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney to make a comfortable low save to his right.

“It was an excellent ball. Kadell see’s movement that others don’t. He fed a nice ball to the back. It’s never easy on the volley but Draycs got his knee over it, struck it into the ground and it got blocked. It’s a shame, it was a good move,” said Edge.

Horsham were a threat down the right, however.  Lee Harding started the game at right-back with Jack Brivio and Bobby Price at centre-half and Harvey Sparks at left-back.

However, after five minutes, they switched Price at right-back and pushed Harding down the right flank and he linked up well with striker Jack Mazzone, who was often played in behind Folkestone Invicta’s left-wing-back Nathan Green within the right channel.

Heard was in dominating fashion during the first half and once again cut inside before laying the ball inside to holding midfielder James Rogers, who took a touch before hitting a left-footed drive just over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Horsham goalkeeper Beeney was called into action to prevent the home side taking a deserved 15^th minute lead.

Central midfielder Ronnie Dolan and Draycott linked up well inside the Horsham half before Daniel’s first time through ball put Yusuff through on goal and his right-footed angled drive from 16-yards was blocked by Beeney’s legs.

Edge said: “That was brilliant, that was probably my favourite passage of play today.  When it came back, Kads played it, Ade bent his run and he hit it into an area where keeper’s often don’t’ save it, really close to the boys and I’ve got to give their keeper credit, it was a fantastic save.”

Horsham created a decent opening to take the lead just 72 seconds later.

Tom Kavanagh played a low through ball in behind Green to play in Mazzone and Kavanagh’s low cross was blocked at the near post by the outstanding Gayle.

Harding then turned Green in the second phase and cut the ball back for an unmarked Mazzone who swept his first time shot high and wide when well-placed to score from 12-yards.

Edge added: “Lee Harding’s a good player, you ask Alfie Paxman last year away at Horsham, he wouldn’t like to be reminded.  He’s got bits of quality, a big strong lad. I thought it was a good contest today, him and Greenie and I thought Greenie won it.”

Folkestone Invicta’s quality dropped after 25 minutes and this allowed Horsham to control possession and Green almost gifted the Hornets the lead following a set-piece.

Kavanagh drew a free-kick from Daniel and Tom Richards’ left-footed free-kick from within the right-channel was swung in and Green jumped up and flicked his header narrowly over his own crossbar.

Lucas Rodriques threaded a 20-yard through ball in behind Green to put Mazzone through on goal but Folkestone Invicta goalkeeper Bailey Vose came to the edge of his penalty area to smother the ball with his feet.

“He made the correct decision that he used his feet.  The modern goalkeeper does sweep up behind your back three or back four, that’s just really good goalkeeping for me,” added Edge.

Horsham kept knocking on the door and in the 42^nd minute, Kavanagh’s hooked pass was chested down by striker Shamir Fenelon, before he drilled a right-footed angled drive across Vose and just past the foot of the far post from 16-yards.

“I mean, you win 2-0 but they definitely created some chances. They move the ball really well, they’re comfortable on it, that was a good move. I actually thought that was going to be in the bottom corner but luckily for us, he pulled it wide,” added Edge.

Horsham goalkeeper Beeney almost gifted the home side the lead just 49 seconds later when his poor clearance was controlled by Ronnie Dolan, before hitting a left-footed drive towards goal from 40-yards, only for the ball to sail narrowly over the empty goal with the goalkeeping scrambling back into position.

“Well, most people with their weaker foot would’ve taken half of the pitch up and shanked the ball off for a throw-in but Ronnie’s so technically gifted, he’s really far out and he hit it so sweet.  I thought this is the kind of break you need and it just sailed over unfortunately,” added Edge.

The crowd of 662 were left thinking how the first-half remained goal-less in a game played by two good part-time sides from the seventh-tier of English football.

When asked how he felt not having the legendary Cugley inside the dressing room at the half-time interval, Edge replied: “Very strange!  We’ve kind of been a trio anyway, good cop, bad cop, whatever you want to be. It’s always going to be strange because he’s such a big character but I think with what happened this week and I’ve just said to Mev there, it feels like the longest couple of days ever. It feels like a month, not quite knowing what’s happening and stuff like that.

“I’m sure there will be some clarification soon for us and we’ll try to kick on.”

Reflecting on the first-half, Edge replied: “I felt we kind of edged slightly in the first half through chances.  I said we needed to be a little bit more clinical, pick better chances in the final third. 

“I thought we made one defensive error in the first half and we covered that and other than that I said we’ve got to do the same again and go and get on the ball and be comfortable and things will happen.”

Horsham, who dominated the corner-count by 10-3, controlled the second half possession wise but didn’t create as many goalscoring chances.

Horsham did create one following their seventh corner of the game, swung in from the left by Richards and met in the middle by an unmarked Harding after only 147 seconds, but the ball cleared the crossbar.

The game livened up inside the final 20 minutes, however, mainly thanks for the introductions of Olutade (66 minutes) and right-wing-back Robbie Dolan (73).

Horsham should have done better in the 70^th minute when a ball down the right released the quiet Fenelon, who held the ball up inside the box before waiting for support which came from Kavanagh, who dragged his first-time shot across Vose and past the far post from 22-yards.

Edge admitted he was disappointed with the start his side made in the second half.

“I hate that, that half-time chat.  We just needed the same again. If not, a little bit better, is kind of what you want to say as a manager.  You don’t want to go in there screaming and kicking, so it shows we were doing alright but we came out and I thought we were a bit sluggish and I thought Horsham got their foot on the ball and started to create chances. Luckily for us, I thought we were quite compact and they found it hard to break us down.”

Green started to go on his trademark runs down the left and he cut into the box and cut the ball back to Ronnie Dolan, who lacked composure as he was pressed inside the box by Rodriques and lashed his shot high over the crossbar from 12-yards.

Folkestone Invicta upped their desire levels after their double change, which saw Draycott and Daniel sacrificed and it proved to be an inspired substitution from rookie managers Edge and Everitt.

With 31:55 on the clock, Rogers found himself within the left-channel and he floated in a cross towards the edge of the Horsham six-yard box where Robbie Dolan rose and buried his free header towards the top right-hand corner, only for Beeney to get up high to his left and use a strong outstretched left hand to push the ball over the crossbar.

Edge said: “Ibrahim and Robbie, that is what a squad is about and they came on and they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

“Robbie’s header, for me. I don’t know it might’ve scared them a little bit because I think they had quite a bit of control at that point.  We put in a good ball and Robbie got his head to it and yet again, a really good save but I thought that was the turning point in us winning the game.”

An example of Gayle’s calmness inside his own box came in the 86^th minute when Horsham substitute left-winger Oliver Knight put over a cross, the ball was nodded on by Fenelon at the near post and Gayle calmly headed back to Vose who grabbed hold of the ball at head height.

Folkestone Invicta swiftly went up the other end as Robbie Dolan’s lay-off was hit by Heard (now playing in a central role) whose 25-yard drive deflected past the left-hand post.

“I thought we actually created some good chances today and on another day, it might’ve been over earlier,” said Edge.

Horsham squandered a glorious chance to grab the victory, only for Folkestone Invicta to counter-attack them to take the lead.

Rodriques skipped past Callum Davies before he released Kavanagh down the left, who had better options other than Davies to make a match-winning interception.

Yusuff then slipped the ball in behind Horsham’s centre-half Jack Brivio to put Olutade through on goal and he clinically drove a right-footed which rolled across the flat-footed goalkeeper to find the bottom far corner from 15-yards.

“The game was actually won on them breaking five-against-one and that’s the madness in this league,” said Edge.

“I think it was quite tight, Callum makes a fantastic last-ditch tackle. If he doesn’t manage it, I think they go through and they go through the Cup and then Ibrahim, like Glen Hoddle, calm as you like slots it in and it’s a great finish. I can’t say anything more than that really.

“It was a fantastic time to score and even better because I think both teams were really leggy.  I think they were enthusiastic and both teams worked their socks off and I just think that goal really deflated them and that’s what enabled us to get the second.”

Folkestone Invicta grabbed a flattering second goal when Olutade fed Yusuff, who had his back to goal, spun his marker inside the box before drilling his shot past Beeney into the centre of the goal from 12-yards.

“I said in there, if we can get Ade back to goal. I know that sounds daft but he’s arguably the best player in this league, if not the one above, with his back to goal in the box.  What will he do? He’ll spin you, he’ll hit it and it was a fantastic finish and it took a little bit of pressure off us.”

Edge added: “It’s always good to start off with a win. It was also nice and I thank the players, it’s not easy, the manager goes but I thought they put a shift in for us today and that matters a lot to me and Mev.

“We’ve been here a while and we care for Folkestone and I thought we got it back from the players’ today.”

Folkestone Invicta have now banked £19,825 in prize money from four ties in The FA Cup and two FA Trophy wins, with Second Round prize money set at £3,750 for the win and £1,000 for the defeat.

Faversham Town slumped to the foot of the Isthmian League South East Division table today (four points from 10 games) after losing 6-1 at Whitehawk in Brighton today.

Simon Austin’s side come to Cheriton Road on Tuesday night in the third round of the League Cup.

Edge revealed he will be working on their 3-5-2 formation again against the struggling Lilywhites.

He said: “We just want to get our system working, try to get it better, we can always do better.  I think if we’re more familiar we are with it, the better we will be playing with it. We were 3-5-2 today, we really haven’t done that a lot and I think when people start to understand where someone’s going to be, where they need to be, you start performing better in that formation. That will be the aim for the Cup game.”

Edge and Everitt then take their side to the side immediately beneath them in the Isthmian League Premier Division, with a trip to Haringey Borough next Saturday.

Folkestone Invicta are only five points clear of the four-club relegation zone, which currently contains Bowers & Pitsea (9 points from 12 games), Herne Bay (8 from 12), Brightlingsea Regent (8 from 13) and Corinthian-Casuals (5 from 13).

“We know ourselves that we’ve got to be better in the league. Hopefully we can take some momentum into that game and kick start our season,” added Edge.

Folkestone Invicta: Bailey Vose, Scott Heard, Nathan Green, Ian Gayle, Callum Davies, Matthew Newman, James Rogers, Ronnie Dolan, Ian Draycott (Ibrahim Olutade 66), Ade Yusuff, Kadell Daniel (Robbie Dolan 73).
Subs: Jake Dancer, Micheal Everitt, Connor Collins

Goals: Ibrahim Olutade 87, Ade Yusuff 89

Booked: Ian Gayle 53, James Rogers 88

Horsham: Mitchell Beeney, Lee Harding (Chris Sessegnon 79), Harvey Sparks, Doug Tuck, Jack Brivio, Bobby Price, Tom Richards (Oliver Knight 75), Lucas Rodriques, Jack Mazzone, Shamir Fenelon, Tom Kavanagh.
Subs: Tom Day, Claudio Boakye Sarfi

Booked: Bobby Price 76

Attendance: 662
Referee: Mr Reece Pinchback
Assistants: Mr Daniel Baines & Mr Andrew Simmonds