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Folkestone Invicta boss Neil Cugley hopes his side can raise their game again when they host leaders Bognor Regis

Neil Cugley is hoping Folkestone will raise their game again when Ryman League, Premier Division leaders Bognor Regis come to town on Saturday.

Invicta have taken 25 points from 12 games at the Fullicks Stadium this season – sharing the best home point haul in the division with Saturday’s visitors from West Sussex.

High-flying Leiston were beaten 2-0 at Cheriton Road last month and boss Cugley is hoping for a repeat performance.

Joe Taylor Picture: Gary Browne
Joe Taylor Picture: Gary Browne

He said: “Leiston came here when they were bombing-on and we played well against them. We raised our game and hopefully we can do that again.

“They are a good side, Bognor, they are going to be a lot like Dulwich (who drew 1-1 in Folkestone’s last home game) – they like to play football the right way.

“You just have to look at the results to see anybody can beat anybody in this league.

“If you’d told me at the start of the season that we’d be sat 10th at this point having been without Nat Blanks, Josh Vincent, Phil Starkey and Ian Draycott for much of the season, I’d have been shocked, so it’s pleasing to be where we are.”

With Invicta five points behind the play-off places but just nine ahead of the drop-zone, Cugley added: “We’ve got games in hand on some teams but others have played less than us.

“But it’s way too early to say whether we’re going to be in the play-offs, get relegated or be somewhere in between.”

With Draycott sidelined by a hand injury for another fortnight at least, forward Joe Taylor netted his 12th goal in his 13th Invicta game at Hendon last Tuesday and Cugley said: “He has a better strike-rate than Harry Smith who signed for us a year ago this week.

“Joe has done well for us. We took a slight gamble on him, bringing him in from a lower league but he’s done well, he’s got fitter and his finishing is good.

“We gave him an opportunity. You need the players to have the desire to play at this level.

“They have to want to step-up. We can’t afford to be going after the London players so we have to look a bit closer to home and it’s paid off for us.”

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