Ten Man Margate Battle Hard To Earn Point

By Riley Finch

Ten man Margate battled hard to earn a precious point against play-off hopefuls, Enfield Town, in an exciting clash at Hartsdown Park, worthy of today’s recognition of Non-League Day.

It was a nightmare debut for new signing Destiny Oladipo. The forward was sent off just five minutes in, after receiving two yellow cards. The decision was harsh to say the least, the first was given after Oladipo went in for a fifty-fifty challenge with an Enfield player.

The other, just two-minutes later, was given after his foot was deemed too high, as he went for a head-height ball with his foot.

Enfield Town made quick use of their man advantage, dispossessing Rio Davidson-Phipps to play through Oliver Knight, who dinked the ball coolly over an onrushing Harry Seaden.

It seemed at that point as though the ‘Gate were in for a rough afternoon, but it was far from it for the home side. After going 1-0 down, Enfield’s one-man advantage could hardly be noticed.

Margate’s resilience paid off just before half-time as substitute, Steve Cawley, sent the ‘keeper the wrong way to get the ‘Gate on level terms, planting the ball into the bottom-left corner from the penalty spot.

Lewis Knight was caught in the box by a flailing Enfield leg to earn the penalty. From then on, it was anyone’s game with the Blues and the Whites going blow for blow.

The Towners hit the post twice, once from a low shot across the box, another after an absolute rocket hit the frame of the goal from the edge of the box.

It was not just the woodwork which came to our rescue, both Teddy Perkins and Knight heroically clearing the ball off the line after dangerous cutbacks from the away side.

After preventing a goal at one end, Knight almost went on to score one at the other end.

Knight latched on to a loose ball after Fyn Rutherford put enough pressure on ‘keeper, Rhys Forster, to spill it and fired the ball at the near post, agonisingly for the ‘Gate, it hit the side netting.

Ben Greenhalgh had already missed a golden opportunity, after Rutherford squared the ball to him in the first half, he missed another deep into the second half, after collecting the ball again from Rutherford only to set himself and drag the ball wide from 12-yards out.

In the end, a game which probably deserved a lucrative 3-3 or even 4-4 scoreline, finished just 1-1.

A game which will certainly be difficult to unpack for Mark Stimson and his side.

Considering the ‘Gate had ten men on the pitch for all but five minutes of the game, and we were coming up against a side third in the league, unbeaten in eight games, we did well to earn a point.

However, based on our performance and the chances we produced during the game, it would be wrong to say that we didn’t feel we could’ve gone on to claim all three points.

This performance should hopefully provide some confidence going into the definition of a 'must win game' against Cheshunt on Tuesday night.

Margate XI: 1. Harry Seaden, 2. Rio Davidson-Phipps (Steve Cawley 20’), 3. Toby Stevenson. 4. Yaser Kasim (Gabriel Duo 79’), 6. Harry Hudson, 11. Ben Greenhalgh, 12. Fyn Rutherford, 15. Mo Kamara (Jeremiah Pinder 80’), 17. Destiny Oladipo (Red card 5’), 19. Lewis Knight, 20. Teddy Perkins.

Unused subs: 13. Reece Hobbs, 16. Louie Atkins.

Goalscorer: Steve Cawley 45+1’ (Pen)

Attendance: 485

UP THE ‘GATE

More news