'Gate Win Final Pre-Season Game

By Josh Cole

Margate ended pre-season with an away win against Westfield at Woking Park!

The home side took the lead in five minutes as a swift break saw number nine go through on goal and slot the ball past Tom Wray.

It would take until the 59th minute for Margate to reply when Jordon Ababio’s cross found Kai Garande at the back post, and he finished emphatically!

Then in the 79th minute, a Ben Greenhalgh free kick was flicked on by Harvey Brand into the far corner to double our lead and give us the win!

On a bumpy, grass pitch, The ‘Gate took a while to settle in and start playing their football, so the home team saw an opportunity and pounced.

A quick attack saw number eleven play through number nine and one-on-one with Wray, he calmly put the ball into the back of the net.

The first half was even and scrappy, with neither team creating any clear-cut chances to note.

Margate’s best opportunity came when Greenhalgh played in Lukas Franzen-Jones and the striker tried to play a return pass, but the ball was just out of reach.

Westfield would have one more good chance five minutes before the end of the half when number eleven beat the offside trap and flashed a shot at goal, which came off the post.

Coming out for the second half, we saw a completely different Margate, one that we had become accustomed to seeing throughout pre-season.

The players were used to the bobbly pitch and Margate’s energy prevailed. In the 57th minute, Garande put us back on level terms.

Ababio raced down the right and his cross found the left-back at the back post and he finished with aplomb!

In the 61st minute, something strange happened… A back pass went to the Westfield ‘keeper was picked up in the box, and the ref blew for an indirect free kick for the Blues.

However, when LFJ laid it off to Greenhalgh, his shot was curled over the bar.

Greenhalgh thought he had put us 2-1 up when Hudson’s header from the halfway line found its way through to Ben in the box and he lobbed the ‘keeper, only for it to be disallowed for offside.

A huge chance went the way of Ibrahim Olutade, when Greenhalgh chipped the ball into the box and the striker headed over from the six-yard box.

Margate would double their lead in the 79th minute when a Greenhalgh free kick was redirected into the far corner via the head of Harvey Brand!

The ‘Gate were untouchable in the second half and won 2-1 in the final pre-season game!

Margate XI: 1. Tom Wray, 2. Harrison Hatfull, 4. Harvey Brand, 5. Tyrone Sterling (Lewis Knight 63’), 6. Harry Hudson, 7. Jordon Ababio (Fyn Rutherford 80’), 9. Lukas Franzen-Jones (Ibrahim Olutade 63’), 11. Ben Greenhalgh, 14. Brandon Davey, 17. Kai Garande (Ross Craig 77’), and 20. James Bessey-Saldanha.

Goalscorers: Kai Garande 57’ and Harvey Brand 79’.

Margate Media Player Of The Match: Harrison Hatfull

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