Lots of effort.

[geoff pay]

Probably the first one back so i'll give it a crack bur i'll leave the real journalism to Chris one and others.

 

First of all lets congratulate top effort. The boys battled all night. Others will tell you who played well and who did not but i dont think i could say there were poor performances outthere.

 

Opportunist goal from Mc when it hit the underside of his chin bounced down and then he got asecond bite of the cherry as it came off the p[ost.

 

Second goal agreat move from half way finished off by pins.

 

Then danny was clean through but hit his shot agonising wide of post.

 

They went down the other end and scored. 2-1 at the break.

 

second half mostly Bill. skinns hauls one of their players down when he was going horizontally and they score from a rather tame free kick.

 

Then even but the enevitable arrived. Mc loses the ball half way and their player goes on a forray and conects with one which sails in top corner.

 

SCS only had one save to make.

 

We put on loads of pressure but could not score despite a few corners.

 

They looked really down afterward BUT there was no moaning or histrionics. Protheroe was watching Wivenhoe so they said!!!!

 

Unlucky to lose me thinks. It is tough for us now and we still cannot win on a tuesday night. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

[Graeme H]

Thanks Geoff good balanced report, and i like comment about demeanour at end.

Lot of hysteria flying around on here at the moment, to me we just on bad run and need a break. Trott needs club to pull together, so hope crowd were in full voice tonight and we take the positives out of this game.

Ramsgate not important - they doing well but that's not our concern. Long way to go yet.

[geoff pay]

sorry failed to mention about 60 gate fans all told some good drumming but some bill chavs got chucked out not sure why!

[Chris1]

Thanks for the compliment! Here's my attempt at a 'proper' report:

 

The result was a disappointment for the vocal travelling support, but it was a good game of football. Gate played much better than on Saturday, and went down to a couple of cracking goals.

 

Our first was well taken by skipper McKimm. The second came from a superb long crossfield pass by Standen on to Danny’s head at the back of the box. He nodded it down to Pinns, who controlled the ball and slotted it in nicely.

 

Gate fans had looked relieved when injured danger man John had to come off, however his replacement Nathan Elder, who has also tortured our defence in the past, was every bit as lively.

 

We had another good chance near the end of the first half when Hockton was put through and blasted just wide, however Elder was given too much room to head the equaliser just before the break.

 

A revitalised Billericay came out for the second half determined to get something from the game. A neatly taken free kick was squared back for a 25-yarder into the corner through a forest of legs.

 

Robinson came on for the injured Jackson and almost created something with a stepover at the edge of the box, followed by a nice low cross.

 

Had Gate made the most of a sustained period of pressure in the second half it might have been a different story, however despite a succession of corners we just could not find the net.

 

The winning goal was an unstoppable screamer from 25 yards into the corner by ‘Ricay’s Lee Hodges, which the keeper could do little about.

 

Billericay made tactical changes, and shut the Gate out for the remainder of the half.

 

Margate’s man of the match was probably Steve McKimm, who did good work in midfield in the absence of Protheroe. An honourable mention too for Dean Standen, whose workrate and determination cannot be faulted, not to mention the cross for the second goal and a vital saving tackle in the second half.

 

On the Billericay side Hodges always looked a threat and scored a blinder, while new man Whelpdale was influential in the midfield.

 

A great game for home fans and neutrals. All credit to Billericay for their fightback. They look well worth a playoff slot come April. As for the Gate, we have work to do, but this was no disgrace.

[geoff pay]

Thanks Chris yep spot on.

[I am Spartacus]

Great effort tonight by all 12 players. The change in attitude from Saturday was amazing and, the belife was there in the first half. If Danny had scored (instead of his shot hitting the post) we would have been 3-0 up and 'ricay would have found no way back. The turning point of the match was the introduction of Nathan Elder for Vinny John(who I think was tactically subsituted). My MOM was Dean Standen he was every where on the pitch and his crossfield pass for the second goal was perfection. I think tonight he showed what he can do and that his true position is in central midfield.

 

Even though we lost I feel more confident after tonights performance and we will start to rise up the table.

[Gate Watcher]

If we had taken a couple more of our first half chances we'd be celebrating a win. Stunning Hockton volley deserved a goal but whistled just past the upright before Ricay scored their first. Had that gone in it would have been goodnight at 3-0. A couple of screamers from Billericay in the second half won it. Great effort from the lads and great vocal support all the way through from the choir.

[Chris1]

Just a few thoughts:

 

Why wasn't Proths there, does anybody know? Not another falling-out I hope. I thought McKimm came into his own, and I agree with Joseba that Standen looked excellent, covering a big area of the midfield. In fact he appeared to be playing sweeper at times, or was that just an illusion?

 

Defensively ok, but we still need that harrying player to stop the runs.

 

Trotty had a quiet game (in both senses). All the vocals came from Flans. RT lucky not to get a yellow in the second half for that cruncher, and Skinner well deserved his.

 

SCS didn't make any of his trademark point-blank stops. A couple of dodgy kicks and let's be kind and say he was unsighted for that second goal. In fact come to think of it their keeper did well to block Pinnock's attempted equaliser towards the end.

 

Danny headed down well to supply Pinns for the second, but overall he seems not to be back to form yet. In particular I don't like the slumped shoulders when a pass doesn't get to him.

 

Admittedly he hasn't done it for a couple of games, but I am thinking particularly of when Robinson controlled well and played the ball forward inside the defender, after which Danny made it clear he had wanted it outside. The lad had tried to play him in, and let's face it a number of Danny's own passes went straight to the oppo today.

 

I see Billericay have let that Warren Ryan go: 27 appearances, 2 goals overall, 4 yellows in 6 games this season. We got all excited about him but it looks like he is just another 'journeyman'. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he go somewhere else in between?

 

Well done the singers and drummer by the way.

[Gate Watcher]

Much better performance and so close to a good win - a couple of inches as I said with Hockton's effort that would have given us a three goal lead.

 

Thought Danny really worked hard and made several runs that were borderline offside/onside and really tested their defence. Pinns scored a great goal too and was denied by a good save in the second half when one on one.

 

Overall came away feeling better than Saturday and sure we can get back to winning ways soon. Hopefully Stevenage can buy Hasim as soon as possible therefore freeing up more cash to add to the team. A good winger with legs to stretch teams would be a great asset. Obviously a striker and a centre back too.

[michael]

Can't add much to the above.

 

A game of two halves really.

Evenish first half although we looked like scoring e very time we attacked-DH looked on fire.

 

Second half-apart from the purple patch when we have a few corners all on the trot (all well taken corners by Standen),we did not have any chances.

Pinock played deeper and wider in second half and DH struggled up front alone, whereas in first half Pinock was 'partnering him',and they made things happen.

 

Central defence ,though not bad, did look a bit open as in previous games,and al 3 goals were from 'central positions.

If it was championship league, you would say they were poor goals to concede-at Ryman level, probably not the case, but arguably all 3 could have been defended better and prevented, though that may be a bit harsh.

 

Most of our play was on the right-the 'triangle' of Pinnock,Jay and Oates was effective.Not quite the case on the left tonight though.

 

Greg deserves mention-arguably had a quietish game, but did not put a foot wrong.There was no threat whatsoever down his flank(after the first 5 minutes of the game)-whether that is because Billericay were poor on the left or whether it was because Greg nulified any threat, i'm not sure,but i have noticed before, that little danger ever seems to happen around him-possibly tthe sign of a good ,cool player who has things under control

 

 

At the end, the team were devastated by the defeat,and i would suggest heartbroken to a man.

There may even have been some tears `shed amongst the anger.

That was definately a team together out there tonight ,and that hurt every one of them .

10 mins after game had finished, most were still hunched on the ground mentally shattered by that result.

Please no one say after that, that they do not care-they care all right

 

 

I think they will come through, but they are hurting bad i would suggest

[geoff pay]

Yes agree MM. Unlucky to lose i thought and excellent support tonite!!

[Coffin Ender]

A very enjoyable game for any neutrals in the crowd, and it was won by a superb goal. A much better performance than on Saturday (mind you, it couldn't have been any worse!)

 

My only reservation is the amount of chopping and changing in the team. Of course we have some suspensions coming up, but we really need to keep the number of changes to a minimum.

[BlueGate Alan]

Great to hear these positive comments from those of you at the game makes me feel much better knowing that the team gave their all even if coming away pointless.

[Frankie100]

Main drawback last night. Despite being a bigger bar and having 4 behind the bar it took longer to be served!!

[Coffin Ender]

Quote from 'Ricay forum...

 

"As for Margate. They look a very strong outfit, but just do not seem to be playing as a team."

[Gate Watcher]

I'd disagree with that. I think it was partly tiredness and partly to do with Ricay playing their best football of the season (according to one of their fans) in the second half, plus their fitness from being full time. We seemed to be much more of a team than we have been over the past few games. Certainly not bad for a side thats had a fair bit of chopping and changing due to injuries and so on.

[GazzaBTFC]

Quote:

Gate Watcher said:
plus their fitness from being full time.

We're not full time fella but fitness is something we do work on. I will say you guys did well in the first half and if we hadn't scored in the first half, we would've struggled...

Apologies for those so called 'Ricay "supporters" at your end in the second half. They are not representative of the club.

[Gate Watcher]

Excuse my error Gazza. Didn't think you were but thought I would throw it in there as our local paper was shouting from the rooftops that Billericay were full time when Ramsgate beat you. Their gaffer was also waxing lyrical that his side had beaten a full time team...

 

Enjoyed my visit to New Lodge last night, nice food, nice bar, shame we couldnt have got the point I felt we deserved but well played and maybe we will see you in the playoffs.

[GazzaBTFC]

Well, I thought the difference in the end was Hodges strike in the second half...That was all that seperated the two sides as we both had chances and it looked as if it was going to be a draw before Lee struck the winner...

 

Good luck for the rest of the season...Look forward to seeing you at your gaff and can I bring me camera?

[BlueGate Alan]

Yes U can Gazza