We must start our league campaign well, says Cugley - EXCLUSIVE

Neil Cugley has challenged his Folkestone Invicta side to start their Ryman Premier League campaign with all guns blazing, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Invicta manager, preparing for his eleventh season in charge of the club, was pleased with his players’ fitness, despite losing their opening pre-season friendly today.

Blue Square Southern outfit Welling United came away from the Buzzlines Stadium with a 1-0 win, courtesy of Rob Geir’s 61^st minute winner.

But Cugley admitted EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk  afterwards, that he was pleased with the fitness of his 19-man squad.

He said: “Fairly pleased, disappointed we didn’t work their goalie enough, or their goalies, but generally fitness was good really, playing against a Conference South side, got some very good players.

“Obviously they played Charlton during the week, which obviously sharpened them up.”

The Buzzlines Stadium club are always one of the first Kent clubs to commence their pre-season training and friendlies.

“All the lads we’re pleased with their fitness,” Cugley said. “With a lot of local lads as well, they like to come in anyway, so that’s why we come back quite early.”

Jason Lillis brings his Herne Bay side to Cheriton Road on Wednesday night, and Cugley feels his side have to stamp their authority on the Kent League visitors.

“I think it’s an important game,” he said. “To be fair Welling, I think, we’re a little bit better than us. We’ve got to show that we’re better than Herne Bay.

“We’ve got to boss the game a little bit more and make a few more chances but generally in friendlies as soon as the first league game is done, everybody forgets about the results of every single friendly.”

Folkestone Invicta kick-off their new Ryman Premier League campaign with a home clash against Wealdstone on Saturday, 18^th August, followed by two away games at Horsham (Tuesday, 21^st August) and Harlow Town the following weekend.

And Cugley urges his side to get off to a flying start, especially as his side escaped relegation on the final day of last season.

He said: “We’ve got to be honest, the fixtures haven’t been too bad to us. In the past we seemed to have Wimbledon early on and some of the bigger clubs.

“So we’ve got to be up there and raring to go. We can’t moan at the fixture lists. If we can compete in this league, we have to get some points out of the first four or five games.”

And on his side’s chances, he added: “Difficult to say really. It depends on how the young lads kick on really. I think that’s the important thing.

“With this club, we know the experienced lads week in, week out, they do it, it’s how the younger lads kick-on really.

“We’ve always been proud of them, they’ve kept us up last year, and will they learn a lot more and kick us on? That’s what we’re hoping.”

Former Margate goalkeeper Charlie Mitten, who kept a clean sheet during his first-half performance, making two fine saves, and former Dover Athletic front man Anton Innocent, featured today.

“We’re looking at players and continually looking for players until the season starts really,” said Cugley.

“Charlie had a good game, his experience showed (as) we’re quite a young side. We’re talking to Charlie next week.”

And about Innocent’s situation, Cugley added: “He got delayed in traffic so he got here and rushed around a bit and made it difficult for him, but again, we’ll have another look.”

Meanwhile, Kent League side Herne Bay, go into their opening outing without the services of last season’s club captain Sam Denly and supporters’ player-of-the-year Steven Lloyd.

The pair have signed for Ryman League Division One South newcomers, Whitstable Town.

But Dave Soutan, Jack Delo, Aaron Firth and Luke Harvey have all signed for the Winch’s Field outfit, as have Andy Forster (Lordwood) and Toby Roy (Whitstable Town), whilst Nathan Eastwood is recovering from his broken foot.

Visit club websites:

www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk

www.hernebayfc.net


Folkestone Invicta v Herne Bay
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday 18^th July 2007
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Buzzlines Stadium, Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU