Folkestone Invicta manager Neil Cugley on 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Slough Town
Published: 09:15, 15 October 2017
Updated: 09:19, 15 October 2017
Folkestone boss Neil Cugley was left to rue what might have been following their FA Cup exit on Saturday.
Invicta went out to a fourth-minute Warren Harris goal at Arbour Park to lose the fourth qualifying round tie.
Cugley admitted his Folkestone side never really got going against Slough.
"We didn't ask them enough questions," he said. "Our forwards didn't hurt them enough.
"We had reports and we felt that we could get at their back four. They are obviously good going forward and have a lot of pace and strength but we knew that we had to try and hurt their back four and I don't think we did.
"Quite a few of my players will go home disappointed that they haven't played better. It's a good day to have and you've got to realise how important it is.
"A lot of them haven't got to the first round before. The majority of my team haven't and I think it showed that they don't realise how good a day it could have been."
Slough started the game brightly and could have blown Folkestone away early on. Having got to half-time only a goal down, Cugley felt that a decent second-half display from his side could have forced a replay.
"You have to give them some credit," said Cugley. "In the first 20 minutes they were lively and bombed people forward.
"But then we stayed in the game and if it was 1-0 at half-time we could go out and play better in the second half.
"I think we played better in the second half, and a Folkestone side playing well would have got something out of that game.
"We try to run with 14 senior players in the squad and sometimes that can backfire on you. We didn't have much on the bench that could change the game."
Invicta finished with 10 men after Kieron McCann was sent-off for two yellow cards in a minute late on.
"It didn't help," added the Folkestone boss. "I thought it was a bit harsh. He thought he was fouled and has fallen over and hugged the ball.
"Sometimes a bit of common sense by the referee...but we haven't had the best referees just recently so i best not go on about that!
"He said he was fouled and thought he was getting the free-kick."
Read the match report from Folkestone's 1-0 defeat to Slough here
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