Folkestone Invicta get back into league action on Tuesday, when Enfield Town are the visitors to the Fullicks Stadium (kick-off 7.45pm).
Dulwich Hamlet’s hard-earned 1-0 win over Lowestoft at Champion Hill took them nine points clear at the top of the Bostik Premier, but they were one of very few of the leading sides in the division involved in league action at the weekend.
Several had Third Round FA Trophy ties while others, including Folkestone, had the day off.
But while Invicta’s busy two games a week schedule has meant they’ve been let-off training on Thursdays, last week was the exception giving manager Neil Cugley a chance to sort a few things out.
Versatile defender/midfielder Phil Starkey was back in training for the first time this season, but so far was restricted to non-contact work following his shoulder problems and operation and is understandably several weeks still away from a return but Ronnie Dolan has no reaction after playing for an hour in the league cup tie with Met Police last midweek and may well be in the squad again.
“We’re taking things carefully with both of them” said manager Neil Cugley.
“We’ll see how Ronnie feels, and if not tomorrow, he should be in the squad for the Wingate & Finchley game this weekend.
“But we’ve no problems at all really. We’re all buzzing and raring to go and as I said last week, the next half dozen games between now and Christmas will show us how we’re placed ahead of the second half of the season.”
Tomorrow night’s game is a return of Invicta’s opening game this season when they drew 1-1 with Enfield at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium – Drew Roberts scoring first for the home side before Ade Yusuff tucked away his first (competitive) goal for Invicta to equalise 16 minutes from time.
And visiting fans came away with the distinct feeling that this was a game their side could, probably should, have won.
The Towners’ starting line-up for last weekend’s 2-0 league defeat at Leatherhead included only four players who took part in that draw back in August, though a couple of others were on the bench that day while experienced ex-Football League defender Darren Purse missed the Folkestone game through injury.
Purse, the ex-Birmingham and Cardiff City player was reportedly on the end of a bad challenge in the first half at Leatherhead but managed to complete the game and is clearly a key figure at the club.
New names since the start of the season include ex-Wealdstone striker Elliott Benyon and forward Mario Noto who Invicta have come up against several times with Chelmsford and, last season, Harlow Town.
Town are currently 17th in the table with 20 points from 16 games. And their last league win on the road came way back in August when they beat Tooting & Mitcham 4-0 at Imperial Fields on the day that Invicta suffered their only home Premier Division defeat so far this season (0-2 against Needham Market).
Last week’s relatively low-key League Cup defeat ended Invicta’s stunning seven game winning run and they will be keen to get back on course with the kind of form that has seen them climb to fourth place in the table.
This coming weekend, Folkestone travel to north London to take on Wingate & Finchley in White Hart Lane (honestly!!).