'Gate unable to find late winner at HDP

By Josh Cole

Despite the visitors having 10-men for the last 15 minutes, the ‘Gate were unable to breach the staunched Concord backline to find a late winner.

Just like last week, Margate were forced to play from behind as former player Montrell Deslandes beat the offside trap and calmly put the ball past Seaden and into the bottom right.

It took 15 minutes for Margate to muster their first chance of the game when Ryan Lowe fired an effort from a free kick just over the bar.

After that chance the momentum shifted. Up towards the 15th minute mark, Concord had started the better of the two sides, but once the early jitters were over, the ‘Gate dominated.

The ball started getting played into the winger’s feet, allowing them to have space to drive at the fullbacks, and it was causing all sorts of problems. Rohdell Gordon and new boy Francis Mampolo were the keys to that dominance, and it showed as Gordon used his flair to get crosses into Cawley, but our number nine was unable to steer the ball past the ‘keeper.

Just before the 30th minute mark we were back on level terms through Cawley bagging his 13th goal of the season, but all the credit must go to Mampolo. He picked up the ball on the right flank, halfway in the Concord half, turned and faced the fullback and got past him before delivering a beautiful cross perfectly weighted for Cawley to slam into the back of the net.

Just four minutes later Margate would get another chance but this one was squandered. Sam Blackman was played in behind the Concord defence but instead of shooting he tried to force the ball across goal to Gordon where the Concord defence were able to clear the ball.

Set pieces haven’t been a strong point for the Blues this season, but in the 40th minute a corner lead to a goalmouth scramble involving almost every player on the pitch. ‘Gate fans saw the net bulge and cheered thinking Margate had taken a 2-1 lead, but the ball managed to stay out as Sam Blackman ended up in the goal. Just a minute later the ball came to Archie Johnson on the edge of the box and he unleashed a venomous volley which was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Mason Terry.

The half would end 1-1 but Margate were entering the dressing room full of confidence and hoping for more of the same in the 2nd half. Concord knew the threat that both wingers posed and decided to stop the balls getting out to wide areas, and it worked.

The second half was a tightly fought contest with neither side having any real clear cut chances to go ahead.

We welcomed Sam Blackman back into the starting 11 after he finished serving his suspension, but unfortunately, halfway through the second half he went down and was forced off with a suspected broken finger and calf injury, with Godfrey Poku coming on to replace him.

This opened the door for Margate to step back on the gas. Three corners in quick succession had Concord pinned in their own box, but they held firm and defended each delivery. The Beach Boys hadn’t really had a sniff since the opening 15 minutes but this didn’t catch Seaden off guard as just after the 70th minute Ifeanyi took a powerful shot aimed at the near post which was saved by the Margate 'keeper and the rebound was quickly blocked.

The half sparked into life after an off the ball incident involving Montrell Deslandes and Ryan Lowe saw the Concord number nine receive a straight red card. He was quickly followed by Ricky Modeste, who after many protests from the bench, was sent off as well.

The ‘Gate had new life, with ten minutes of normal time and eight added minutes against ten men, Margate fans thought this could be it, our chance to finally get a late goal.

As we rolled into added time, Margate had been unable to breach the Concord backline and chances, although very slim ones, were going the way of the Essex side until the 96th minute.

The moment all ‘Gate fans had been waiting for arrived at the feet of Francis Mampolo. Terry parried a shot straight into the feet of the new winger and he placed the ball towards the goal, but it was somehow hacked off the line preventing Margate all three points.

Line-up: Harry Seaden, Archie Johnson, Tyrone Sterling, Harry Hudson, Rohdell Gordon, Sam Blackman (Godfrey Poku 57’), Steve Cawley, Ellis Ashworth, Fyn Rutherford (Obed Yeboah 86’), Ryan Lowe, Francis Mampolo.

Unused subs: Reece Hobbs, Vinnie Bowman, and Lewis Knight

Goalscorer

Steve Cawley 29’

Attendance

352

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