Gate Fightback To Win Kent Derby

Evan Paris 

After nearly six weeks off over the festive period Margate Ladies returned to playing with a really tricky league game away to Tonbridge Angels.

On a blustery afternoon and a pitch that didn’t help either side’s passing game the teams took to the field and were ready to play.

A scrappy and frantic first ten minutes passed before The Gate conceded to a well worked Angels goal.

The Blues were level within a couple of minutes thanks to a 25-yard Izzy Robinson strike.

Both teams cancelled each other out with some decent defending but a few minutes before the break a Tonbridge striker found herself through on Watson in the Margate goal and coolly finished giving the home team a 2-1 lead at the break. 

Wind assisted and trailing Margate went to three at the back searching for the equaliser in the second half and on 67 minutes the impressive Wiktoria Bukowska controlled a Nicola Adams long throw with one touch and fired home with the next.

Angels responded as expected and were rightly awarded a penalty after a clumsy Chisom Agbanelo challenge in the box. Lauren Watson stood tall in the Margate goal and somehow tipped the penalty onto the crossbar and The Bluebirds defence cleared the rebound.

Agbanelo made up for the mistake as she turned provider and got the assists for gates next two goals.

Firstly, she played in Bukowska who slotted home and Margate took the lead for the first time in the game and with two minutes left on the clock a perfect ball into Harriet Woolston who powered past two Tonbridge players and poked home securing the three points for Margate. 

A ninety minutes full of positives including Grace Phillip’s-James,Lucy Paris and Izzy Robinson tireless work in midfield, Whilst Annabelle Ashby and Shannon King impressed in defence.

Becks Slevin was superb at centre back along with Hannah Russell not putting a foot wrong for 90 minutes on the left side.

The ladies move up to third in the league and are three points behind Maidstone in second with a game in hand.

Next up for The Bluebirds is a home league game vs Faversham at HDP on Sunday 27th January.

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