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Sport

Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley admits consistency will be key as the club aim to climb the Isthmian Premier table; Kingstonian next up

By: Thomas Reeves treeves@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 05:00, 20 October 2022

Updated: 16:16, 20 October 2022

Consistency will be vital as Folkestone aim to climb the league table.

Invicta now turn their attentions back to Isthmian Premier matters after they suffered a 2-1 defeat at Welsh outfit Merthyr Town on Saturday in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round.

Folkestone manager Neil Cugley. Picture: Randolph File

Neil Cugley’s men, who beat Corinthian-Casuals at Leatherhead 4-0 on Tuesday with their ground out of action due to a tree falling through their clubhouse, are at Kingstonian this Saturday and Carshalton on Monday night.

Invicta have only picked up 14 points from nine league encounters and are now aiming to build momentum on their travels.

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“To be fair, the focus was always going to be on the league,” said boss Cugley.

“We need to start to improve our results. We need to take our chances and stop making mistakes at the back but I think we will.

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“It’s been a bit patchy, as I’ve said before, and we just need to be a bit more consistent and then I’m sure we can push to get around the play-offs again.”

Joy for Folkestone frontman Ade Yusuff who bagged a midweek hat-trick in their 4-0 victory over Corinthian-Casuals. Picture: Randolph File

Striker Ade Yusuff bagged a hat-trick in their win over Corinthian-Casuals while fellow frontman Ira Jackson converted a penalty after the restart.

Kingstonian lost 1-0 at Horsham last weekend and have earned 12 points from 11 league matches.

Cugley said: “I think it’s a funny league. One week, you see one result and then that team goes and gets a result, completely out of the blue. I think Kingstonian are very similar - you don’t know what you will get from them!

“But we just need to be consistent.”

Changes at boardroom level are imminent at Cheriton Road, with chairman Paul Morgan standing down after their cup defeat in Wales.

But Cugley, who first became Folkestone manager in 1996, has seen it all before.

He said: “I think we’ve had seven or eight different chairmen since I came in, and they have all been all right. You just get on with it.

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“I’m sure it will get resolved, we don’t have many financial problems. In the past, it’s really been difficult but the club is in a good place.

“My phone was busy on Sunday, with people offering to help. Sometimes, you don’t realise how many good friends you have within football.

“We have quite a few meetings planned to see people and to find out how they want to help. We are very lucky.”

Folkestone's Kadell Daniel, left, is now back from injury. Picture: Randolph File

The club thanked Mr Morgan for the investment he has made over his five years at Invicta on Tuesday but said they were surprised by the decision.

A statement read: “Last week’s resignation came completely out of the blue and was a shock to all at Folkestone Invicta.

"After we received Paul’s letter of resignation, we tried to arrange a meeting, but this was unsuccessful.”

A slow start cost Invicta at Merthyr. They were 2-0 behind inside 15 minutes in front of a crowd of 1,457 and, despite pulling one back through an own goal, they couldn’t find a leveller.

Cugley reflected: “We are disappointed. We just started poorly and, if we had not started poorly, we would have won the game.

“I’m annoyed as a manager because you say these things before the game but, to be fair, they started well.

“But sometimes, you need to communicate on the pitch. Virtually everything is better in football now but I’m not sure communication is one of them. Players are not very good at talking to each other.

“But after they got their second, we completely and utterly dominated the game.

"They cleared two off the line and their keeper made an unbelievable save. For 70 minutes, we were very, very good but, for the first 20 minutes, we were poor.

“We have a very experienced side. We are not talking about hundreds of games, we are talking about thousands of games between them.”

Winger Kadell Daniel returned from a hamstring problem off the bench at Merthyr and started against Corinthian-Casuals.

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