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Folkestone Invicta aiming to show their improvement against Bostik Premier rivals

Folkestone face a run of pivotal matches as they bid to recharge their play-off bid after last weekend’s stoppage-time heartbreak.

Invicta scored twice after the 90th minute but then saw their lead wiped out by Wingate & Finchley in a 2-2 draw at the Fullicks Stadium.

Neil Cugley’s side go to Enfield on Saturday knowing victory could lift them back into the Bostik Premier top five.

Folkestone's Alfie Paxman gets stuck in against Wingate & Finchley Picture: Alan Langley
Folkestone's Alfie Paxman gets stuck in against Wingate & Finchley Picture: Alan Langley

He said: “There are some hard games coming up. We’ve got Enfield, Carshalton, Lewes and Leatherhead, so they’re big games.

“Let’s see how much we’ve progressed.

“We’ve lost to Lewes, lost to Enfield and lost to Carshalton so we want to show we’ve improved since they beat us – and I think we have.

“It would have been nice to get three points on Saturday but now we’ll see where we are; whether we can get back into the play-off positions or not.”

Cugley was fuming after his side let two points slip through their fingers in Saturday’s incredible climax.

He said: “The second one, they’ve actually scored from our corner so you can imagine I wasn’t very happy.

“We’re a very experienced team now and they shouldn’t let that happen.

“We all have a moan and a shout after and get on with life. I’m very much one that worries about the next game.

“It’s gone now and there’s nothing we can do about it, except hope we learn from it.

“The other week, we scored a last-minute winner against Corinthian Casuals so these things happen.

“It’s just disappointing when you throw a lead away at home but you take it on the chin and move on.

“The players know they should have enough about them to hold on and they’re as angry as I am.”

Folkestone are seventh in Bostik Premier, two places and two points above Saturday’s hosts.

Enfield’s attack is led by former Ebbsfleet and Maidstone striker Billy Bricknell, a proven goalscorer at this level.

Cugley said: “There are some good forwards in this league. If you give Bricknell a chance, he’ll put it away.

“But we’ve got Draycott, Yusuff, ter Horst, Paxman, McCann and Jackson so we’ve got forward power as well.

“It wasn’t that many months ago we were talking about a relegation battle and now we’re talking play-offs, so that’s how things can turn around.”

Folkestone have released right-back Phil Starkey, while midfielder Sam Hasler has joined Ashford on loan.

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