Folkestone take on fellow play-off contenders Wingate & Finchley at the Fullicks Stadium on Saturday in a fixture that has always proved close since the sides first met in North London almost exactly a year ago.
That damp Valentine’s Day night Invicta somehow threw away a two goal lead to lose 3-2 in the closing moments and again when they visited they visited the Maurice Rebak Stadium it was Keith Rowland’s Wingate side who won by the odd goal, this time 2-1 – a defeat for Folkestone which signalled the end of a run of eight straight Bostik Premier Division wins for the Kent team.
On their only visit to the Fullicks thus far, The Blues went away pointless with a single goal from Joe Taylor the difference between the two sides.
Cugley’s men need to bounce back from last weekend’s overall disappointing performance and 3-2 loss at Worthing quickly to get their challenge on course after Hendon’s midweek 2-1 win against Leiston pushed Folkestone down one place to fifth in the table, albeit only on goal difference.
Wingate’s current form is slightly better than Invicta’s with 10 points from their last six matches, but they too suffered defeat on the road last weekend when they went down 2-0 at Tooting & Mitcham after drawing (1-1) with the same opposition just four days earlier.
They are now seventh in the table, two places just one point below Folkestone but from one more game played.
“We owe them one after losing up there” admitted manager Cugley, “And we’ll need to play better than we did, especially in that first half at Worthing.”
Folkestone desperately missed the experience of Micheal Everitt and the drive of Scott Heard in midfield as they went two goals down inside the first 40 minutes before the prodigal Johan Ter Horst scored at the end of each half to make the result much closer than it might easily have been had the Sussex side not wasted two glorious chances.
“What made that performance so disappointing was that we knew how Worthing would play. We started 3-5-2 but failed to deal with their pace in midfield and those first two goals were real giveaways, if I’m honest.”
Ex-Eastbourne Borough and Burgess Hill veteran Darren Budd was the key figure and this old head in a good young Worthing side was understandably named their man of the match.
“We know all about him and put someone on him, but that certainly didn’t work too well on this occasion!” admitted the boss.
Heard – arguably with captain Callum Davies one of Invicta’s two best players this season – will again be missing as he waits for a knee operation while former skipper Everitt may have recovered enough from a hamstring strain to return for the first time this month.
“We’ll leave it till Saturday before deciding about Mev” said Neil.
Folkestone are also without Sam Hasler who starts a three game suspension for accumulated bookings.
But, on the plus side, leading scorer Ade Yusuff is almost certain to return along with livewire midfielder Kieron McCann, both of whom started last week’s game on the bench at Worthing.
Yusuff, who had just five minutes or so at the end of a game where Invicta had desperately missed his strength and energy up front, has been recovering from a hamstring injury but also had a touch of flu, from which he has now recovered.
Recent signing Jerald Aboagye may well start after being replaced by McCann at the break last weekend.
In his previous game – Jerald’s first for the club – he had come on for Yusuff when the striker was injured, so they have yet to be on the field at the same time for Folkestone.
We’re sure that it’s nothing personal!!!
- Folkestone’s next game, the second of three out of the next four at the Fullicks, is against title favourites and league leaders Billericay Town next WEDNESDAY, February 21st.