The Kent Senior Cup is not as important as the League, says Neil Cugley

Sunday 12th December 2010

FOLKESTONE INVICTA boss Neil Cugley says he is targeting a total of 48 points to maintain the club’s Ryman Premier League status, writes Stephen McCartney.

Invicta were held to a disappointing goal-less draw at home to fellow strugglers Horsham at Cheriton Road last Tuesday and were on the end of a 2-1 defeat at Hendon on Saturday.

An equaliser from striker Allan Tait was not enough as Hendon struck with a late goal to send the Seasiders home with nothing.

Defender Josh Vincent and leading goalscorer, midfielder Darren Smith were both dismissed, meaning Invicta finished the game with nine-men.

With Horsham winning 3-2 at Hastings United yesterday, it means Folkestone slip down a place to fourth-from-bottom in the table, with 15 points from 18 games.

Cugley told www.kentishfootball.co.uk: “In this league you need 48 points and I said from day one, it doesn’t sound like a great aim but that’s our aim all the time, which is to stay up and hopefully we can get better.

The pressure cooker of the Ryman Premier League goes onto the back burner for the visit of Sittingbourne on Tuesday night - a re-run of last season’s Kent Senior Cup final.

Folkestone met Gary Abbott’s side after they clinched promotion via a play-off final win over Godalming Town, but the Brickies came out victorious to clinch the Kent Senior Cup for the first time in 52 years, with the win.

Jimmy Jackson, playing his last game before retirement, had given Folkestone a first half lead, but Sittingbourne hit back through Colin Richmond and Tom Bradbrook.

“They’ve got some good players,” warned Cugley. “The Kent Senior Cup is not as important as the League, that’s our main aim, but if you can play the game and do the right things, hopefully we’ll be alright.

“We’ve just have to keep plugging along. Playing twice a week keeps the fitness levels up.”

The Kent Senior Cup has gone down in the pecking order for most managers in the county and Cugley expressed his feelings on the competition.

He said: “It’s better than the Ryman League Cup, let’s put it like that, but obviously the FA Cup is the main thing and the FA Trophy, as there’s money in both of them.

“The Kent Senior Cup isn’t too bad because you’re only going in Kent where the Ryman League Cup we had to trips to Croydon and Cray. I’ve got nothing against those teams but we had to come from down here to go up there and had we won we’d finish up playing at Thamesmead so they wonder why you’re not that interested in the Cup.”

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

Folkestone Invicta v Sittingbourne

Kent Senior Cup First Round

Tuesday 14th December 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU