They haven’t played a “home” game yet this season in any competition yet on Saturday afternoon; Jay Saunders could lead Folkestone Invicta into the first-round proper of the Emirates FA Cup for the first time in twenty years! 

The problem standing between Saunders, and his players are arguably the “biggest” club in the competition and Invicta must go to Essex to face Southend United at Roots Hall! 

Speaking to KSN this week, the Invicta boss told us, “It’s a weekend that we are all looking forward to. I know that some people say that the FA Cup isn’t the same, but I think for non-league clubs the FA Cup still has the romance that it always has along with all the excitement!  

“So, we are really looking forward to it although we probably couldn’t have got a harder tie! I think if you are going to get drawn against a National League side you don’t get bigger.  

“We’ve already played and beaten two National League South sides (Maidstone and Horsham), so we were hoping for possibly an easier tie, but I suppose if you’re going to get a team from that league away from home, then Southend United are the ones that you want!  

“They are a Football League club really aren’t they and it’s a great place to go and play football, and hopefully there will a decent crowd watching a game where there is absolutely no pressure on us as we can go there and enjoy it!” 

The last time the Essex side played a Kent side in an FA competition was when Sittingbourne sensationally dumped them out of last season FA Trophy at the last sixteen stage – a fact that a rueful Saunders acknowledged saying, “I don’t think that’s done us any favours,” he said smiling.  

“I would imagine that we will get the full side and there won’t be anyone rested, and they will have learned from that. Maxy (Brickies boss Ryan Maxwell) took Sittingbourne there and got one over them and I’m sure that they won’t want a repeat of that.” 

“It’s a tough test for us and a good place to go and play. I watched them last week and was impressed with the football that they played, but it’s a game of football over ninety minutes, eleven v eleven and go there in good form ourselves – I’m sure that they will show us respect and we can go there and have a real good go and hopefully you never know, we could get a result!” 

With the ongoing installation of an artificial surface at the clubs Cheriton Road home meaning “home” games being played at Ashford, Margate and in a previous cup round, Chatham, it’s been tough for Invicta. Yet they currently sit second in the Isthmian Premier table, and Saunders has just been named Manager of the Month for September.  

“It’s been a really strange season! To be unbeaten and play every game away from Folkestone with a completely new squad, I think there are only three or four there from last year – it has gone better than we could have hoped for!  

“It’s nice to get the award but I think it has been a real group effort, I’ve got Lloyd Blackman and Tom Parkinson with me and the rest of back-room staff and obviously the players who have really bought into what we are doing.  

“So as a club it’s all gone really well and we just want to keep that going as long as we can, so that when we go back to Folkestone the crowds will hopefully want to come and see us, and we will be up there challenging. Really pleased with the way it’s gone but we will do it in little blocks of five games and see how we go and hopefully we can keep this form up!”