Worthing 1-2 Folkestone Invicta - I've been here a long time. It will be a great thing to win the league, says Neil Cugley

Worthing 1 – 2 Folkestone Invicta
Location	Woodside Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 7BH
Kickoff	19/03/2016 15:00

WORTHING  1-2  FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 19^th March 2016
Stephen McCartney reports from Woodside Road

FOLKESTONE INVICTA manager Neil Cugley says he’s feeling delighted that his side are in a position to claim their first league title on home soil over Easter.

The Kent club will be crowned Ryman League Division One South champions on Good Friday, 25 March (15:00) with a win over third-from-bottom side Walton & Hersham, a game that fans can watch at Cheriton Road for a reduced price of £5.

Folkestone Invicta chalked off their 30^th league win of the season (they have drawn six and lost four) after coming off Worthing’s 3G pitch with a victory to put the champagne on ice.

Striker Ian Draycott scored his 32^nd goal of the season after winning and scoring a free-kick, before winger Jordan Wright came off the bench to score the clincher.

Worthing pulled a goal back through winger Zack Newton at the death as third-placed Worthing clearly missed Omar Bugiel (19 goals) and 29-goal Lloyd Dawes and suffered their 11^th league defeat of the season.

“Delighted to come here and win, they’re third in the league aren’t they, come away to win 2-1 is tremendous,” said Cugley after the champions-elect extended their unbeaten run to 13 games and have six more games to get the three points they need to cross the winning line.

“Really pleased with the players. I’m disappointed they scored right at the end, got them back in the game but apart from that, can’t moan at all!”

Cugley admitted his players were keen to come away with a win today to ensure it’s a day of celebration at Cheriton Road on Good Friday afternoon.

He said: “We want to do it next Friday. If we stayed 0-0 much longer I would’ve put all the forwards on and tried to win because I want to win it next Friday at Folkestone.

“We said before our fans are tremendous, not only they put money into the club and they keep the club pushing on so we want to do well for them.”

Folkestone Invicta started the game on the front foot and created their first opening after only 145 seconds.

Scott Heard started the move by driving the ball out to right-back Josh Vincent, who whipped in a cross which was cleared out to Heard, whose right-footed drive from 22-yards flashed past the left-hand post.

Vincent delivered a second cross into the Worthing penalty area and striker Carl Rook rose to loop his header into Rikki Banks’ hands from 15-yards.

Worthing weathered the early storm and Ashford-based striker Ira Jackson poked his shot just past the foot of the right-hand post after nipping in front of goalkeeper Tim Roberts after his strike partner Ben Pope dinked the ball in from the right.

Heard found himself down the left channel and he centred towards the near post for Draycott to poke his shot just past the foot of the near post whilst under pressure from a tight angle.

Worthing’s left-winger Harvey Sparks flashed a delicious low cross across the face of the penalty area and past the far post as two of his team-mates failed to get a big toe on the lovely ball in.

Roberts was called into making his first save of the game in the 20^th minute.

Sparks was released down the left wing and he cut the ball back to an
unmarked Newton.  He stroked a low right-footed angled drive towards the bottom near corner, which Roberts dived low to his right to hold beside the post.

Folkestone Invicta immediately broke and just 19 seconds later left-winger Ashley Miller’s left-footed drive trickled across Banks and just past the foot of the far post from the left-hand side of the penalty area.

“Ash doesn’t like these pitches, I don’t know why because you think someone of his skill would love these pitches but he said he struggles a bit of them so he wasn’t quite his usual self,” added Cugley.

Liam Friend clipped the ball out of Folkestone’s defence up to Miller, who cut inside and swept the ball from left-to-right.  Vincent whipped in a low cross, which was flicked on by Draycott and Rook swept his first time shot at the near post which was going wide, but Banks swiftly got down low to his left to flick the ball behind for a corner.

Dolan swung in his second of seven corners from the right which landed on Rook’s head at the far post, but his diving header sailed wide.

With Folkestone Invicta supporters rolling out “we are going up!”, Rook was to be denied the opening goal in the 36^th minute.

Dolan clipped the ball forward, Banks rushed out of his penalty area to head the ball straight to Rook, who chipped the ball up in the air, which dipped down towards the middle of the goal but Worthing’s left-back Steve Metcalfe showed enough desire to get back and head the ball off the line.

“Rookie done well there to just take it but I suppose the lad was always going to get there to put it off the line,” said Cugley.

Dolan swung in the resulting corner from the left and Frankie Chappell came up from the back to head over at the far post.

Roberts was forced into making his second save of the game in the 38^th minute.

Newton played the ball inside to an unmarked Sparks, whose bent his left-footed shot towards the bottom corner from 22-yards, forcing Roberts to dive low to his right to make a vital save.

The crowd of 567 had to be content with a goal-less first half on a windy and chilly day on the West Sussex coast.

Cugley admitted his players had to increase the tempo on Worthing’s artificial pitch.

He said: “The pitch is strange. It’s a good pitch, I’m not moaning, but it’s not very lively. It’s a dead pitch and unless we’re lively we can get the ball moving around quickly. I think that showed in the play.

“Once we livened the game up again we did a lot better. That’s the only thing we said, get passing a bit sharper. It was a bit dead the pitch, it needed a bit of water on it, I think.”

Cugley was full of praise for Roberts, who made his third save of the game after only 130 seconds into the second half.

Three Folkestone Invicta players failed to cut out a fine run from Worthing striker Pope, who only had the keeper to beat from inside the penalty area, but Roberts made a vital save with his legs.

“He doesn’t get the credit he deserves,” Cugley said of his goalkeeper.

“He saved us early on, he saved us second half as well. He’s done that a lot this year. It’s been a big, big thing with us Tim, he’s been a big part of us hopefully us winning the league.”

Miller played the ball in from the right and Dolan’s first time shot from 12-yards was comfortably saved by the Worthing keeper exactly 60 seconds later.

Referee Michael Lowe penalised Worthing’s player-manager Gary Elphick for bringing down Draycott some 25-yards from goal and Worthing breathed a sigh of relief when Miller’s free-kick curled and bounced just past the foot of the near post.

But Worthing committed a similar foul in a similar position and paid the price as Folkestone Invicta opened the scoring with 15:37 on the clock.

Folkestone Invicta skipper Friend hit a long ball forward and only Worthing defender Corey Heath will know why he pushed Draycott in the back to commit a needless foul.

Draycott stepped up and stroked a deflected right-footed free-kick across the keeper and into the bottom far corner from 25-yards to give Folkestone Invicta a deserved lead.

“We were actually thinking of taking him off, I must admit,” came Cugley’s reply.

“He just didn’t look that sharp today. He’s had a bit of an Achilles tendon problem.  I don’t think he likes these pitches that much.  You do get those players that do and don’t like them.  I just think he found it a little bit tight on his ankle.

“We were just thinking of taking him off. Obviously he scores.  We weren’t straight away going to take him off, we were thinking of taking him off the last quarter-of-an-hour.

“He works hard, he’s a real team player as well. I’m pleased for him. I’m always pleased when he scores for us.”

Draycott was quiet up until his goal but came to life and cracked a left-footed drive which screamed past the right-hand post.

Worthing central midfielder Brannon O’Neill took all of the home sides’ set-pieces and his free-kick sailed over to Elphick, whose towering header bounced into Roberts’ hands, although the ball was heading out behind for a goal-kick.

Draycott played the ball into Heard’s path but his first time drive was comfortably saved by the Worthing keeper.

“At times I just felt we needed a second goal because I just felt that was a period of play when we were the dominant team really,” said Cugley.

“They had to throw things at us and we tried to catch them on the break.”

But Worthing failed to take a great chance to equalise half way through the half.

Pope laid the ball to an unmarked Sparks, who from inside the left-hand side of the penalty area, sliced his shot wide when he only had Roberts to beat.

Cugley simply admitted: “You do know that’s you’re day, I think, sometimes.”

Roberts – although it would be fair to say that he was the busier of the two goalkeepers – pulled off another great save to deny Worthing a 72^nd minute leveller.

Heath played the ball out of defence and found advanced left-back Metcalfe, who was inside the Folkestone half.  He cut inside and played the ball inside to Newton, whose right-footed shot was blocked by Roberts legs, as the ball was destined to nestle inside the bottom right-hand corner.

Matt Axell and Pope linked up and set up a chance for Worthing substitute Jack Fagan, whose attempted right-footed curler from 22-yards sailed high over the top of the far post.

But Folkestone Invicta grabbed a second goal on the break, timed at 39:43.

Both of their substitutes played a major part in the goal, which started with Dolan feeing the ball up to lanky striker Harry Smith, who played in Wright, who ran onto the ball in his stride and produced a classy finish, across Banks and nestling into the bottom far corner.

Cugley insists Wright is very much in his plans and explained his limited appearances.

He said: “He’s a good player, Jordan, he’s been very unlucky, he got knocked out the side because we kept winning, which has been a bit frustrating for him but he’s a quality player and he’s had to be sub.

“He’s a big part of our plans for the future and that was a quality goal. Dolan’s hit a great ball to Harry, Harry then laid it off to him. It was a really nice proper goal.”

Folkestone Invicta almost scored a third when Dolan charged forward through the heart of the pitch and found Wright on the left.  He floated over a cross towards the near post but an unmarked Draycott smacked his volley wide from 10-yards.

Worthing scored their consolation goal with 45:11 on the clock.

The impressive Sparks played the ball inside to Newton, who was given time and space to run into the D to stroke his right-footed deflected drive, which kissed the artificial surface and nestled into the bottom left-hand corner, despite Roberts’ efforts, diving full-length to his left in his attempt to claw the ball back into his clutches with an outstretched hand.

“I think it got a slight deflection didn’t it? That’s what took it past Tim,” said Cugley.

Worthing threw bodies forward as they went in search for a last-gasp equaliser. Banks came up for O’Neill’s corner from just outside the corner of the penalty area but Folkestone held firm.

“They’re just going to throw everything, I don’t blame them, literally everything at it,” added Cugley.

“You just don’t know what’s going to happen those last few minutes. They’re sending their goalie up, they’re sending everybody up! That’s football, you don’t blame them for that do you? They’re going to go for it, do everything that they can.”

Folkestone Invicta remain 16 points clear of Dorking Wanderers, who came away from fourth-from-bottom side East Grinstead Town with a 2-0 win today.

Invicta have collected 96 points and have six league games left to get the one win that they need to claim the club’s first ever league title.

Folkestone Town won the Southern League Division One title back in 1964, after winning the Kent League title in 1951 and 1953.

Cugley, who suffered four play-off defeats in the past four years, is looking for fans to pack Cheriton Road next Friday afternoon to celebrate winning the league title.

Walton & Hersham arrive at Cheriton Road on a run of seven straight defeats and without a win in 12 games.

“Financially it’s a shame (that we’re not in the play-offs) because they do make us a lot of money.  Hopefully we’ll get a big, big crowd on Good Friday and get behind the players’ and hopefully they can put on a real good show and hopefully win the league,” said Cugley.

“They’ll be battling for their lives but it should be nice. We’ll be up for it and raring to go. We’re all talking about it now, so hopefully it will be a good day. We’re all looking forward to it and I’m sure it will be a good day for the club. Hopefully we’ll get a good crowd and people from Folkestone come along.”

With the club charging £5 entrance, it will surely be a party spirit against The Swans.

“We decided to do that before, a little while ago and then it’s a bit perfect now. They haven’t got an excuse saying it’s too expensive,” said Cugley.

“We’re 16 points clear, we’re worth watching, definitely worth a fiver anyway!”

When asked what it would mean to him to be crowned league champions, Cugley replied: “Even I’ll be disappointed if we don’t do it now! I was born in Folkestone, played for Folkestone as a central half and centre forward. I’ve been here a long time. It would be a great thing to win the league.

“Folkestone haven’t won the league since 1964 so it will be one hell of an achievement for the club and the players’.  The players have been tremendous, their attitude and how they all work together.  I’m really pleased for them.”

When asked about toasting their title with champagne next weekend, Cugley replied: “I don’t drink champagne! It’s the only thing I don’t drink but I’m sure the players will have some.  I will have a drink on Friday!”

One man in Kent football that deserves to win the league title this season is Neil Cugley.

Worthing: Rikki Banks, Matt Piper (Jack Fagan 78), Steve Metcalfe, Matt Axell, Gary Elphick, Corey Heath, Zack Newton, Brannon O’Neill, Ben Pope, Ira Jackson (Will Hendon 66), Harvey Sparks.
Subs: Ryan Quirke, Ross Edwards

Goal: Zack Newton 90

Booked: Ben Pope 34, Gary Elphick 53, Brannon O’Neill 90

Folkestone Invicta: Tim Roberts, Josh Vincent, Nat Blanks, Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Ronnie Dolan, Phil Starkey, Scott Heard, Ian Draycott, Carl Rook (Harry Smith 81), Ashley Miller (Jordan Wright 76).
Subs: Jon Pilbeam, Matt Newman

Goals: Ian Draycott 61, Jordan Wright 76

Booked: Carl Rook 77

Attendance: 567
Referee: Mr Michael Lowe (Reigate, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Colin Hopkins (Andover, Hampshire) & Mr Colman O’Meara (Southampton, Hampshire)