Invicta vs Uxbridge (FAT) match updates

[finbarr_in_z]

[finbarr_in_z]

Looking a bit foggy but Uxbridge have got there despite the road issues.

[finbarr_in_z]

Uxbridge's celebrity fan is astrologer Russell Grant. Surely he knows the result already?

[finbarr_in_z]

Teams are out.

[finbarr_in_z]

Live commentary on

mixlr.com/folkestone-invicta-radio

[finbarr_in_z]

HT 0-0

[finbarr_in_z]

573 attendance

[finbarr_in_z]

JV! 1-0

[finbarr_in_z]

Dec 18, 2021 16:11:54 GMT finbarr_in_z said:

JV! 1-0

On 50 minutes

[finbarr_in_z]

2-0
Ade.
77 mins.

[finbarr_in_z]

FT 2-0
Our first time in the 4th round ever!
Well done team.

[finbarr_in_z]

Dec 18, 2021 16:10:29 GMT finbarr_in_z said:

573 attendance

456 at Dover. Even with half price tickets. And they lost

[stumpy]

That could have gone either way, although we were slightly the better side. Couple of crucial saves from Tim that earned him a well deserved man of the match award. Uxbridge very strong for a team a league down from us.

Not sure why we have reverted to a back four - ok, we won, but it could have been different. Let's hope for another good draw - Wembley would would be lovely....

[simondo]

Yes! Tim was the nailed-on man of the match with at least three unbelievable saves.
But the first half was a dire slog for both teams, seemingly playing aerial ping-pong.
Once JV scored with a wonderful looping header Uxbridge turned into a completely different team. Suddenly they were everywhere and causing us major headaches. How they didn't score I will never know and we had Tim to thank for that. Even when Ade got our second goal, the pressure on our defence continued relentlessly.
Perhaps in the last 10 minutes I dared to relax a bit.

[xjr]

I think Tim's contribution to day has not been applauded enough. if they had gone ahead we would have found it difficult to get back into it. His magnificent saves kept us in it until we finally switched on and got the goals needed. Arise Sir Tim ( New Years Honours ) If we can play that poorly and win, we have a great chance this season, I lost count of the amount of times we gave the ball away without any pressure on the player. Alfie only found one decent cross all game and thankfully it was nodded home. Ade found one run of brilliance and in it went. Apart from that I thought we were disjointed today and did well to get the win against a well drilled Uxbridge side.

[cj]

Dec 18, 2021 18:26:19 GMT xjr said:

I think Tim's contribution to day has not been applauded enough. if they had gone ahead we would have found it difficult to get back into it. His magnificent saves kept us in it until we finally switched on and got the goals needed. Arise Sir Tim ( New Years Honours ) If we can play that poorly and win, we have a great chance this season, I lost count of the amount of times we gave the ball away without any pressure on the player. Alfie only found one decent cross all game and thankfully it was nodded home. Ade found one run of brilliance and in it went. Apart from that I thought we were disjointed today and did well to get the win against a well drilled Uxbridge side.

Amazing triple save in the first half. 

[tom]

Absolutely agree - Tim was our best player, and by a long, long way. Superb performance from someone in top form.

[Joel]

Good day for Tim with some brilliant saves kept us in the game I felt, passing was a bit off today but we could of had a couple more goals if it wasn’t for the poor form of the linesman second half, much to the disappointment of the home supporters.

[gerryhan]

Firstly, let's praise Uxbridge for their performance today. For a team from a lower league, they certainly did not play like it.!

We really had to dig deep for this win. We scored two excellent goals, both individual efforts. The first, a long, loping header from JV over the keeper and into the net. For the second Ade finished a good move by taking the ball up to the keeper and beating him with pace from close in. Left foot too!

So, back to the game. We were not at our best but our defence certainly had to be. Tim was MOTM by a mile. which tells you something, but Callum could not have been far behind. Alfie spent most of the game defending, so we didn't see him at his best either. JV apart from his goal also had to put in a shift. Nice to see Matt Newman back to fitness too.

They had some really fast and skilful forwards especially the eight and the eleven who kept us stretched throughout the game. But our front two are a handful too for any team, but in a more direct way.

I am with Stumpy on our shape. I prefer the way we play with wing-backs. More width and less direct ( and Jordan gets a game ! ) and Alfie gets to show at times his more attacking side. Cannot argue with results I suppose, just a personal preference.

Draycs and Jordan came on for the last twenty-five and both added to the team all over I felt. Draycs had one terrific volley go narrowly wide which would have sealed the game. Mev also had two terrific strikes go narrowly wide in the first half. One by a whisker I felt sure was going in.

So we are into the fourth round for the first time . Congratulations to the lads whose efforts this season well deserve it, COYS !!

[biffo]

Sorry but if potential next round opponents saw today’s performance they won’t be quaking in their boots. For a start why did one of our best performers of recent weeks find himself on bench duty this afternoon? At the start of the season we played attractive football building from the back but the first half in particular today reverted to hit it and hope long ball. Any midfield passing was inaccurate and made to look so by a quick Uxbridge side.
Second half was much better and we managed to string together more constructive moves and could probably have had a third goal but for the erratic performance of the linesman. Tactically we seem to have regressed as the season progresses. This could be partially down to injuries and our thin squad or non use of substitutes but we had a system that worked well and seems to have gone out of the window. Why change? RJ is critical and let’s hope he is soon back but also we would benefit from the return of Aaron Simpson allowing Alfie more freedom to play further forward and Jordan Wright being restored to a starting role. If that means that long term favourites in the current “first team” move to the bench then so be it.
Anyway a win is a win and we just about shaded it this afternoon.

[Joel]

Full credit to Uxbridge who like Stumpy said a decent side for their level as the south-central is a weaker league as such compared to the other two isthmian leagues below us, both keepers today on top form.

[realfan]

Am I missing something? We had a system that worked well, I guess you’re talking about the 3-5-2 system? But since changing to 4-3-3, I think I’m correct in saying, that we have just lost the once in 10games? I agree that Rj is a superb addition to our team, but from what I’ve seen since he has been out, Mev has slotted in perfectly. We keep saying how small our squad is, but with Matt Newman, Rj and even Jordan out injured we still look so strong and get results. I feel like a few only want the wingbacks back so there is space to play Jordan, if he’s not a wingback, where else do you play him?

[stumpy]

Dec 18, 2021 22:36:38 GMT realfan said:

Am I missing something?

To be honest, yes you are:

First ten league games - won 7, drew 3, lost 0 (potential title winning form)

Last nine league games - won 3, drew 4, lost 2 (not even play-off form)

Sure, there's more to it than just formations - tiredness after the cup games with Eastleigh (which we seem to have got over now) and injuries have certainly played their part, but it's pretty clear that we were playing better earlier in the season. We can still pull out some good results, because we've got some really good, committed players, but you'll be pushed to find many people round the ground who think that the tactical changes in recent games have made us stronger. Today was a case in point; if Tim hadn't played a blinder we might well have gone out to a team who might be better than most teams at their level, but are a whole league lower than us.

It looks for all the world like the only reason we have changed the system is because it doesn't suit the eleven players that Cugs wants to start with. Call me old-fashioned, but if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

[gerryhan]

Totally agree Stumpy.

We started this season playing some great flowing football and soon had the crowds rolling in in unprecedented numbers. We had a terrific FA cup run with some of our best performances in years in the FA cup. For those of us who travelled to Eastleigh, it was simply unforgettable.

The replay at Cheriton Rd was an amazing game under lights to a huge crowd. All this was playing with wing-backs. I said at the time that we were lucky to have two such players as Alfie and Jordan which allowed us to play this way. These are difficult positions requiring great stamina and the skills of both forward and attacker. Not easy to find. Kieron, who is a terrific player found it tough when Jordan got injured ( which is why we changed the system.)

The current shape has us with Alfie and Kieron down the left flank and JV the solitary right flank. It did not work at Lewes which I watched and it works now because, as Stumpy says we have good, motivated players who adapt. Yesterday saw us play forward quickly every time to the front two. Effective, but not easy on the eye, and no real control of the game.

Tim Roberts effectively kept us in the game at times.! Where do you play Jordan Wright ? He didn't half play well last week at right-back, starting and joining the play from that position !!

[gerryhan]

On a sour note. We do need with these bigger crowds, some stewarding on the terraces behind the dugout. A group drinking ( and spilling ) throughout the game allowed their kids to run around and spoilt it for us watching. I mentioned it to one of the parents and got a less than friendly response.

Our group ( which included Joe Taylor`s dad Garry ) moved away in the end.This is important for the future of the club in my view.

[Deleted]

Dec 18, 2021 23:01:55 GMT stumpy said:

To be honest, yes you are:

First ten league games - won 7, drew 3, lost 0 (potential title winning form)

Last nine league games - won 3, drew 4, lost 2 (not even play-off form)

Lie, damn lies and statistics, eh? Given your obsession that the formation is wrong lets try divvying it up from when that changed:

First 13 League games: won 7, drew 5, lost 1 (26 points, 2 points per game)
Last 6 league games: won 3, drew 2, lost 1 (11 points, 1.83 points per game)

Dec 18, 2021 23:01:55 GMT stumpy said:

Call me old-fashioned, but if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

Last 6 league games playing 3-5-2: won 3, drawn 2, lost 1 (same as above!)

Although the last 3 games of those 6 were two 0-0 draws and the 5-0 defeat at Carshalton. when all and sundry on here were crying about how things needed to change? which is it, because you can't have it both ways?

Dec 18, 2021 23:01:55 GMT stumpy said:

It looks for all the world like the only reason we have changed the system is because it doesn't suit the eleven players that Cugs wants to start with.

And given that your stats don't even back you up, lets look at this nonsense, and the post a few weeks ago about how "Cugs took the first opportunity (Jordn's injury) to revert to his favoured 4-3-3". Well he didn't. Jordan picked up an injury at Bognor and missed the Hendon game, returned against Hornchurch but came off injured and then missed the trips to Cheshunt and Carshalton. During those games Kieron McCann was shoehorned into a role at wingback because in that system we 1) don't have another to play there and 2) there's actually nowhere to play Kieron. So with it clearly not working the system was changed and we went to Wingate and won 4-1. Now Jordan is back fit and they could go back to playing 3-5-2 but then you have no place in the XI for Kieron at all and we actually played 2 games with only 1 centre half and JV filling in so I've no idea how you step up with a back 3 (kept 2 clean sheets and got 4 points in those 2 games, as well as seeing out the last 20 minutes against an Enfield side who hadn't lost at home in nearly 2 years)

Now if you want to hear one of the players talk about the system JV does a fairly decent job here in my opinion



If you want to watch it later you'll also hear Mev talk about changing things during the game today in order to get fullbacks higher up against a side playing very narrow that we were struggling to break down. a side who had put 6 past another step 3 side and knocked out a national south team to get to this stage, and had only lost 2 games all season. it worked and we had a few chances before half time and scored not long after, funnily enough from our 2 fullbacks combining (although im not 100% convinced JV meant to head it at goal)

and Re: Mev if you pay attention Cugs makes very clear (after wins not defeats) how much work he and Edgy put into their roles as part of the coaching team. the least you can do is blame them for the everything you think is wrong, it's not all Cugs the big bad dictator.

But I don't know why I bother, seeing how much happier this place is when it's miserable. indeed it was funny to have a quick look following the win at Enfield (as above, they hadn't lost at home since January 2019 and where also top of the form table) and see a whole new thread created simply to moan, quickly followed by somebody so determined to moan that they ended up having a row with themselves because nobody else was joining in their moaning! that's a real dedication to being miserable.

Anyway thanks to all who donated to the food bank collection yesterday. we didn't expect such a response and we were absolutely delighted with how it went, I know many on here contributed as well other other club officials and even a member of the first team. we are thinking of running possibly 2 more before the end of the season.

[realfan]

Very well said obertan. Jordan did do well at right back Gerry, so you would play him there over Jv? And then when Jv is on the bench and we lose or draw a game you would say we miss him? I totally see when you say this formation is very lopsided and the right back is normally totally over run, but then on the attack we look so much more dangerous. And if the right back happy to do that whole flank he should be applauded, which to be honest, I don’t think Jv gets enough of. I agree that lewes took full advantage of our formation that day, as did carlshalton when we played 3 at the back. I think we could switch from 4 to a 3 very easily, depending on how the game is, and what is needed.

[gerryhan]

I agree on your last point about switching systems when needed.

Our main points of difference are about the type of football we are watching.

Far more attractive with wing backs in my opinion.

[realfan]

Yeah I understand that, but there has to be an element of what will also win us the game. Uxbridge played the more attractive football yesterday but we won 2-0, which wasn’t just down to Tim. In the last 3 games we haven’t let in a goal and scored 7. But yet Mr Cugly still isn’t getting it right?

[gerryhan]

We weren't winning with wing backs ??