If we have a good November who knows what we can achieve, says Folkestone boss Neil Cugley

FOLKESTONE INVICTA manager Neil Cugley says his side have a very big November ahead of them, writes Stephen McCartney.


Invicta go into the month sitting in fourth place in the Ryman League Division One South table with 23 points (seven wins and two draws) from twelve league games and face five league and two Cup ties in November.

They begin their sequence with a home clash against Whitehawk at Cheriton Road on Wednesday, before
Daventry Town visit in the Second Qualifying Round of The FA Carlsberg Trophy at the weekend.

The Brighton-based Hawks lie in eighth place in the table with 19 points from ten games (they were deduced three points) and Cugley expects a tough game.

He said:  “Whitehawk absolutely annihilated us in the FA Cup.  They absolutely played us off the park.  We never got anywhere near them, never had a shot. 

“If we put that same poor performance in on Wednesday, they’ll get an easy three points.

“I just hope the players’ remember that performance.  I think we have improved since then so hopefully we’ll show, if not then it’ll be a very difficult game for us.”

Cugley added:  “I just think we’ve got a really hard November. Games we should look forward to, big games, Bognor, Maidstone, Dulwich, Daventry, this one.

“We’ve got a lot of hard games coming up.  It will tell us if we have enough about us to be in the top four.

“If we have a good November who knows what we could achieve.  If not, we have to accept that we’re not (good enough) as some of these teams.”

When asked about his side’s campaign so far, Cugley said: “I thought the start was a bit hit and miss, when we didn’t play as much football as I hoped.  We’ve got the same team, a basically young team so I’m pleased with the way things have gone.”

When asked whether his side are promotion contenders, Cugley replied, “I think you’ve got to ask me at the end of November really.  There’s four or five big clubs in there, financially and ambitious wise.  Maybe, can we hang onto their tails? I don’t know.  We’ll have to wait and see.”

Daventry, meanwhile, lie in sixteenth place in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central table with 12 points from 11 league outings.

The Folkestone boss has done his homework on Daventry, especially as there is £3,000 of prize money up for grabs and a possible meeting with Blue Square Bet (Conference) South clubs await in the next round.

“Funnily enough someone went to watch a game of theirs recently so we do know a bit about them,” revealed Cugley.

“I’ve made a couple of phone calls but at the end of the day you have to worry about yourselves at this level.  There in an equivalent league, it’s up to us to play well at home and go at them. 

“The money’s there.  You know we’re not going to win the thing (the silverware), but we just want one big game – that’s what our hope is, we get through and get you’re Dover’s, someone like that and have a good day.

“Anyone with a reputation and get a few to watch the game and make it an enjoyable thing for us.”

Folkestone Invicta booked their place in the second round of the Kent Senior Cup (Sponsored by portablefloodlights.com) with a 3-2 extra time win over Faversham Town at Salters Lane.

The two Kent sides met at Cheriton Road at the weekend and played out a disappointing goal-less draw.

“To be honest it was a bit of a disappointing game really because I think, they will agree as well, because of the Kent Senior Cup tie was played at such a high tempo and going into extra time, I think it took a lot out of the players really,” said Cugley.

“It didn’t live up to the game we hoped it would.  I just felt that little bit of sharpness was not in either team really.  We’re both quite young sides and yet it sort of nullified (each other).  We didn’t play as well as we have been recently to be honest.”

Micheal Everitt (leg), Stuart King (arm) and Paul Jones (ankle) have all been ruled out.

Cugley said: “It will be nice to get Kingy back, hopefully we will this month.  Kingy had an operation on his arm and that’s quite a major operation so if he fell on it when it’s not heeled then it will cause problems.”

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

Folkestone Invicta  v  Whitehawk
Ryman League Division One South
Wednesday 2^nd November 2011
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU