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The experience of captain Micheal Everitt and midfielder Robbie Kember can strengthen Folkestone Invicta’s fight for survival this weekend.
But goals are what manager Neil Cugley needs as Aveley, two points and two places behind Folkestone in the Ryman League, are the visitors to the Buzzlines Stadium on Saturday.
With just 12 goals in 19 games, Folkestone are the lowest scorers in the Premier Division, while their opponents from Essex have only one goal more.
But after seeing his team draw another blank in a 1-0 defeat at Tonbridge on Monday, Cugley drew comfort from the spirit of his largely young team.
He said: "We changed the system a little bit and had a couple of new players and Tonbridge are an experienced side, which they showed early on. I was pleased with the way we played in the second half and thought we deserved to get a draw.
"Their keeper made two or three good saves. We’re not far away from where we want to be but our lack of goals is a problem.
"We’re playing good football and I can’t knock the players for effort."
Cugley said Kember’s experience could be helpful against Aveley after his one-match suspension but the bans on Josh Vincent and Darren Smith both have two games to go.
Everitt completed all but the last few minutes of Monday’s match, his comeback after a knee injury, and suffered no ill effects.
Meanwhile Invicta striker Allan Tait, 29, is understood to have joined Premier Division rivals Kingstonian after just a handful of appearances following his return to the club for a second spell.