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Folkestone secure place in last eight

FOLKESTONE Invicta manager Neil Cugley was satisfied with his side's performance at Southern League Division One East club Erith & Belvedere, sealing their passage into the last eight of the John Ullmann Kent Senior Cup tonight.

The Cheriton Road outfit joined Gravesend & Northfleet, Margate, Tonbridge Angels, Ashford Town, Dartford, Dover Athletic, Cray Wanderers or Chatham Town in the quarter-finals.

Two headed goals from Simon Glover and Mark Munday secured a comfortable victory at a freezing cold Park View Road.

Cugley admitted: "I thought the performance was adequate, quite pleasing, with no injuries and a clean sheet.

"It was a good, entertaining game, and to be fair, Erith played well in patches."

After former Dartford striker Paul Sykes went close with a right-footed 24-yarder, which dropped narrowly wide of the far upright, blonde haired Glover headed home at the far post to give the visitors a tenth minute lead.

Steve Norman, a recent acquisition, saw his shot move in the air on its way over before the Deres were unlucky not to equalise from their first shot on goal after 18 minutes.

Paul Abbott, who saw goalkeeper Tony Kessell off his line, unleashed a 30-yarder, which crashed off the underside of the crossbar, and dropped kindly into the custodian's grateful arms.

Another shot reigned in from similar range from Dean Fenton, and once again, wasn't going to beat the Folkestone number one.

Former Aldershot Town hit-man Joe Narty, was the next Erith man to shoot on goal.  However, his 16-yard shot on the turn went agonisingly wide of the far post.

Just before the interval, Kevin Watson's curling, rasping shot from 25-yards went straight into Jani Seitsonen hands and at the other end, after a mistake from defender Adam Flanaghan, Chris Dickson was denied by Kessell.

After good work down the left hand side from Glover, he cut the ball back to former Dartford and Margate striker Sykes, who shot agonisingly wide of the far post from twelve yards, as he had a chance to wrap up the victory after only 29 seconds after the break.

Good build up play from Mark Ducket and Narty carved open a chance for Fenton, whose low drive was saved by Kessell.

However, the Ryman Premier Division side sealed their progress in the 56th minute when Watson's cross from the left was met by a powerful header from Munday, which crashed into the net from six-yards.

Erith, however, did have the ball in the back of Kessell's net but Mark Ducket was already offside by the time he fired inside the near post.

A minute later Narty's left footed 19-yard drive was comfortable for Kessell and at the other end, Sykes' saw his looping header just go over.

Folkestone's reliable skipper Scott Lindsey struck a 30-yarder into Seitsonen's midriff and in the last minute, substitute James Dryden - who replaced the impressive Andrew Burke during the interval - made the Deres keeper work from the same distance, pushing the shot around the post.

Defeat for the Deres mean they will have to concentrate on the league for the remainder of the season as boss Barry Lakin eyes a top ten place by the festive period.

However, he takes his side to Aveley on Saturday, minus three points as the Park View Road club were deducted three points after fielding an illegible player in August.

Sebastien Ndombe, who played only three games for the Deres, and has since been released, didn't inform Lakin that he had already played for another Southern League club before signing for the Deres.

Lakin explained: "Very disappointed losing the three points.  Basically, we played an illegible player, it was the first week of the season, in the first home game on a Tuesday night.

"I got a phone call, asking about a player, and I spoke to him and asked him the last club he played for, which was Charlton Athletic.

"So we signed him, it all went through and two weeks later, we got a phone call.

"The League have checked it up - he was on the bench for Team Bath - he didn't get on.

"We tried to explain this to the Southern League - it's like talking to a brick wall - they didn't understand the situation.

"The player didn't get on, we didn't even know - all we could do was to take his word.  

"The Southern League didn't actually check it on the actual day."

Lakin, however, although disappointed, looks ahead.

"We can't cry over spilt milk.  But the players are very disappointed, as I am.

"We are just starting to move up the league, now we start again on Saturday against Aveley.

"We've got our target and if we reach that by Christmas we will all be happy and hopefully the second part of the season - we're going to surprise a few teams and push on."

Speaking about tonight's defeat, Lakin added: "I thought we played ok.

"I thought we done well - we're a passing side and we showed that tonight.

"We just got out muscled and out experienced.  They are a very experienced and organised side, and that's no discredit to our players to lose to Neil (Cugley) and Folkestone.

"I am disappointed with the result but we are very pleased with the performance.

"We had Tony Dalkin making his debut at centre half and he done excellent and alongside Darren Williams - who was outstanding.

"Unfortunately we are out of the cup, but we did well."

Cugley, whose side have kept three clean sheets in a row, will be hoping they can maintain their solid run when they make the trip to Staines Town on Saturday.

He said: "We keep saying the same thing really, every game in our league is about the same, they all seem allright, with no poor sides and we will have to be switched on.

"We've had three clean sheets in a row now, so we are looking for our fourth on Saturday, and hopefully we can do better in the final third than we did last Saturday at Braintree."

Erith & Belvedere: Jani Seitsonen, Tom Maycock, Mark Ducket, Darren Williams, Tom Dakin, Joe Narty (Craig Hales 77), Ryan Briggs (Capt), Paul Abbott, Dean Standen (Mark Chapman 61), Chris Dickson, Dean Fenton.  Subs: Gary Schillachi, Barry Lakin, Neil Murray

Folkestone Invicta: Tony Kessell, Kevin Watson, Steve Norman, Adam Flanaghan, John Guest, Scott Lindsey, Michael Everitt, Mark Munday (James Everitt 85), Simon Glover, Paul Sykes (Luke Coleman 87), Andrew Burke (James Dryden 46).  Subs: Lee Dyson, Dan Morrin

Attendance: 82
Referee: Ian Crouch
Assistants: N Wilde & P Andrews