MFC 1, Kingstonian 2 - Match Report here ....

[Wellsie]

Some improvement but same outcome, may be one way to sum up Margate’s defeat to Kingstonian last night. But if the Blues had started the match in the manner in which they played for the last 20 minutes, the outcome may have been different.

 

With Joe Vines added to the injured list, Dagenham loanee Thomas Davie came into the starting 11. George Purcell and Kezie Ibe started up front, as Margate started the match with a 3-5-2 formation.

 

Both sides looked short of confidence in the early stages but Kingstonian settled first and it paid dividends for them. Margate struggled to make much headway until the last 20 minutes or so, and while they got a goal back, it proved to be too little, too late.

 

Kingstonian had plenty of attacking possession in the opening 10 minutes but the Gate defence looked solid enough until Craig Holloway had to tip Paul Vines’ header from Matt Pattison’s corner around the post on eight minutes. In the passage of play following the corner Reece Hall fired straight at Holloway from distance but the Gate keeper saved easily.

 

Margate created a good opportunity with a move down the right in the 11^th minute. Andy Burns found his Dagenham team mate Tom Davie who in turn found Ibe. He moved the ball on to Matt Bodkin who moved slightly left and from the edge of the K’s box fired a shot into the side netting.

 

While the K’s won a corner with a deflected long range shot, Margate also had their moments when a ball from the right flashed across the Kingstonian six yard box, but there was no one in a blue and white shirt to take advantage. On the 20 minute mark, Bodkin had another shot but it was straight at Rob Tolfrey who made a regulation save.

 

Gate were seeing more of the ball – particularly in the K’s half - as the game went into the second quarter but on 37 minutes, Kingstonian took the lead. Holloway was forced to make a brilliant one handed save from Wade Small’s close range shot. Pattison’s corner came in and Dan Sweeney - who was not being tightly marked – swept the ball into the net.

 

With the K’s leading at the interval, an assertive response was required from the home side but it didn’t come quickly enough. In fact, Alan Dowson’s side indicated their intent with a shot on the Margate goal within two minutes of the re-start. A minute later Reece Hall tried his luck on the angle but Holloway was well positioned to make the save.

 

On 51 minutes, Purcell did well to hold off the challenge of a defender but his shot from an increasingly difficult angle was saved by Tolfrey.

 

Five minutes later, Kingstonian scored what proved to be a decisive second goal. Hall was the architect with a good run on the right. His cross was not cut out by the Margate defence and at the far post Vines was on hand to bundle the ball home from close range.

 

Gate responded with a good chance of their own but Andy Burns’ shot from the edge of the box – deflected on its way through - was brilliantly tipped over by Tolfrey. From the resulting corner, Ibe headed over the bar.

 

Play then moved from end to end for a period of time although neither keeper was unduly troubled. During this period, Simon Osborn made two changes; bringing on Tommy Murphy and Tommy Whitnell for the tiring Jermaine Brown and George Purcell.

 

On 32 minutes, Margate gave themselves hope when they pulled a goal back. Murphy had done well to win a corner on the left. Bodkin floated a curling corner kick into the box from where Whitnell headed home beyond Tolfrey.

 

The goal lifted the Blues and suddenly they looked a better side; Bodkin firing just wide via a deflection. But while the home side enjoyed much more attacking possession, they couldn’t find a way through the K’s defence although the visitors went close to adding to their tally with a shot that flashed across the face of goal in the last minute of added time. In any case, across the 90 minutes the visitors deserved their win.

 

Reflecting on the match, Joint Manager Simon Osborn said: “Things are not quite going for us at the moment.

 

“The last 20, 25 minutes, we all of a sudden played without fear; upped our tempo, upped our work rate and played for those last 25 minutes how I want us to play for the first 70 minutes or so.”

 

But the disappointment of another defeat was still the overriding feeling. “I know what I’ve got to do, I know the job I’ve got to do. We’re close, but we’re not quite where we want to be.

 

“We’ll keep going. We’ll dust ourselves down; we’ll work on the things that we need to work on, on Thursday (a rare training opportunity) and hopefully we’ll get a positive result on Saturday.”

 

While Simon does not believe in making excuses for poor results he will consider the impact of pressure, fatigue and injuries. “It is harder to stay in promotion and play-off positions than it is to get into them,” he said. “A little bit of fatigue maybe has set in and we’ve had a few injuries, (but) I’m not going to go down the excuses route.

 

“We haven’t been good enough in the last three games,” was his simple and honest assessment.

 

Margate: Holloway, Starkey, Pooley, Davie, Beales, Brown (Murphy 59), Bodkin, Burns, Dolby, Purcell (Whitnell 72), Ibe.

Subs not used: Carlse, Osborn, Mattless.

 

Kingstonian: Tolfrey, Barton, Bird, Murphy, Sweeney, Pattison, Wanadio, Taylor, Vines, Small, Hall (Sierowicz 72).

Sub not used: Okai, Bragg, Jimoh.

 

Margate are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Bury Town for their penultimate Ryman League game of the season. Kick off at Ram Meadow is at 3.00pm.

[Cookie]

Bury up next.With us in dire form,now nothing to play for & Bury playing extremely well, playing at home and WITH something to play for.

 

Bury us they will I'm sad to say. Anyone on with the six-timer? Would have paid the wages for the rest of the season AND for the whole of NEXT season too.

 

Betting tip : "BIG" Win double - Bury to beat Margate on Saturday coupled with Jeonbuck Hyundai Motors (K-league k.o.11 am this morning) (Both by 2 goals or more too)

 

(when I say "BIG" I mean you'll have to wager big as the odds are and will be very short but both should oblige)

[BlueGate Alan]

Says something re the players that the sponsors MOTM was given to Andy Burns a loanee!

 

I must say he did work his socks off once again.

 

IMO we have missed the hard work, committment and hassling of Danny Stubbs and the tough tackling of Marc Corneille in central midfield for sure!

[Cookie]

Never the biggest fan of Stubbs but you make a good point there Alan.

We had a winning team but with a few injuries and new players coming in it obviously upset the apple cart.

Was the appointment of the "two" too early to call? Holloway,regardless of his position at the club IS the best keeper in this league.No doubt about that in my mind.

I wouldn't want to lose his services so maybe best to have him for next season as gaffer,to keep him here, provided he PLAYS in goal.

[Wellsie]

In the absence of the website - which we hope to have back very soon - I've set up a You Tube channel on which you can listen to:

 

Match commentary highlights: 1st Half

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCz460mjqTw

 

and 2nd Half

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4u59ZAUiBo

 

and reaction from Simon Osborn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV8F1p_6YsU

[michael]

Agree with the point about stubbs-his energy did cut across to the other players who in turn played at a slightly higher tempo.

 

Not very exciting tuesday was it-not that i care about excitement-just want wins.

 

I thought beales, starkey and pooley all played well-but then we let in two goals-so maybe they did'nt play that well after all.

 

Have'nt seen us play for a while, but am i correct we are now playing either 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 9some would say a fluid 3-5-2 !!(whatever that means in the real world)

 

I thought Dolby got a bit lost in that system-and to a lesser extent burns.

was looking forward to seeing the re-invented Dolby at left back-but he seemed to be neither at left back or left midfield-and was 'in-between -and most of play by-passed him-maybe not his fault,but not a great game from him.

I was surprised that burns was m-of m (not that i know who should have been )Again-i thought burns was ok-but not sprectacular-and i thought similar to a lesser extent applies to him as it does to Dolby.

 

we would not have a game without the officials-and we all make mistakes-but Ibe's booking was very harsh i thought.

 

I assume Brown still not fully fitand hence the substitution-but a class above i thought-and similar-i thought Ibe had a particularly good first half.

 

A midfield of avery ,corneille, brown and bodkin would do ok and give us some possession.

 

Enjoyed the fireworks at half time

 

Highlight was probably the pitch-thught it looked realy good considering it was end of season,reserve and first team games on it,and in particularl-the long winter it has gone through.

Pitch was in fantastic nick given all of that-very very well done to the groundsman