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Folkestone Invicta can still make the Bostik Premier play-offs with a win on the final day

Expect high drama at the Fullicks Stadium on Saturday as Folkestone bid to snatch a Bostik Premier play-off place on the final day of the season.

Neil Cugley’s side host Bognor Regis (3pm) knowing a win could keep their promotion dream alive if results elsewhere go their way.

Invicta start the day seventh, a point outside the play-offs, as five teams scrap for the last two places.

Folkestone will look to Ade Yusuff for goals against Bognor Picture: Paul Amos
Folkestone will look to Ade Yusuff for goals against Bognor Picture: Paul Amos

Haringey and Tonbridge will definitely be in the semi-finals but Carshalton and Bishop’s Stortford, in fourth and fifth, can still be caught by Merstham, Folkestone and Worthing.

Given that Carshalton host Stortford on Saturday and Merstham go to Worthing, points will be dropped by the teams around Folkestone.

“You couldn’t make it up,” said Cugley, whose side have come from way back with four wins in a row.

“With them all playing each other, we have got a chance but we know we’ve got to win.

“It’s one of those days when it’s good for the fans who will come along to watch and hopefully a few people turn up and get behind the team.

“Whatever they do, they’ve achieved a lot this year. The players have been absolutely tremendous.

“People like Micheal Everitt, my coach, and Roland Edge, my assistant manager, deserve a lot of credit as well.”

Supporters around the ground will be on their phones checking the other scores on Saturday so will the Folkestone bench be doing likewise?

“Yes and no,” said Cugley. “It doesn’t really matter because we’ve got to win so all the other things don’t really come into it.

“The main thing is us winning and worrying about the other results as they come through.

“That’s what the play-offs are good for and it’s why I’ve never criticised the play-offs because it makes the season last longer and gets everybody talking at the game.

“That’s why you do it. A lot of teams will just be playing the last game to give a couple of kids a go but we’re playing for something and most of the years I’ve been at Folkestone it’s been like that.”

Folkestone hope Ian Draycott (dead leg) will be fit, leaving Sam Hasler and Ronnie Dolan as their only absentees.

Cugley said: “I know it’s not a big squad but it does show what a good squad we’ve got when you haven’t got people like Draycott, Dolan and Hasler playing and we’re still in with a shout.

“We’re scoring goals and not conceding many, which is always quite a nice scenario.

“We’re raring to go and hopefully people come down to get behind the team and we give everything we can. That’s all we can do.

“Our goal difference is one of the best so that’s good as well. We’ve got some good forwards at the club and we’re looking forward to the game. I can’t wait.”

Folkestone made the play-offs last season but a repeat didn’t look likely for much of this campaign.

Cugley said: “It wasn’t that many months ago we were looking at the other end of the table and thinking ‘are we going to get dragged into a relegation scrap?’.

“We’ve turned that around and we can be very proud of that.”

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