Trio make way as Cugley swoops for star striker

Thursday 14th September 2006

Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley has announced the exciting signing of Jimmy Corbett, 25.

This is Cugley’s second signing of the week after capturing the signature of sweeper Samuel Kola Okikiolu, who made an impressive debut in the Ryman League Cup against Dartford on Tuesday night. As the Invicta manager had already stated, it was a certainty that players would have to leave to make way for new arrivals.

Therefore Eastbourne based Stuart Myall and Thanet resident Paul Lamb have both left the Cheriton Road club. Local midfielder Martin Chandler has been loaned out to Kent League side Hythe Town.

Cugley told www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk: “I’ve had to let Myally and Lamby go to make way for new signings. They were quite good earners at the club and we’re looking to play a different way now as we want to get a lot more pace in the team and bring in younger players into the squad.

”Chands has been loaned to Hythe so he can improve his match fitness but he is young and we all know what a good player he is”, said Cugley.

Striker Corbett has previously played for Premiership side Blackburn Rovers and has had experience at League One side Gillingham and Championship outfit Southend United, where the versatile player was deployed as a midfielder.

“John Guest’s dad said he was a bit disillusioned with football and had said some nice things about myself and he said get yourself down to Folkestone.

“Anyway I met him on Tuesday night at our game and he signed a form and will be on the bench for Saturday.”

“He’s coming down to training and he’ll be hell of an asset if he can get back and enjoying his football.

“He’s got the potential to be a quality player again and we just have to keep our fingers crossed that he comes and enjoys it and wants to seriously play football again.”

Defender Okikiolu is 24 years old and was last at Margate but has had experience with the old Wimbledon – before they uprooted and changed names to MK Dons.

The Folkestone boss remarked: “He was at Margate and had an injury and sort of drifted out of football. At Dartford on Tuesday night he looked better and better as the game went on and he impressed the other lads in the squad which is always a good sign.”

Cugley went on to divulge, “With Kola someone rang me about him a little while ago and said he was available and I didn’t chase it at the time because I thought we would be alright back then. His name cropped up again because Ellis (Remy) and Walid (Matata) knew him and I spoke to them about him and they raved about how good he was.

”So I contacted him and got him to come along on Tuesday night because it was a competitive game and I had nothing to lose. As I say he did ever so well and I was well impressed.”

Cugley explained how important it was to strengthen the squad by bringing in fresh arrivals.

“Things could not go on as they were because we were bottom of the league and I hope with these new signings they’ll help us climb right back up.

“Obviously Kola’s only 24 and Jimmy Corbett is only 25 and then we’ve got Ben Sly who came on last night who’s only 19 and did excellently and Liam Friend is getting better and better and he’s only 18. So we’ve got the youth there and we just need to build a team round these younger players.”

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