'Gate Leave Ashford With A Point

By Reece Hibbird

The ‘Gate spent Friday evening in Ashford for their first away game of the season, with both sides looking to improve on their opening game draws.

As expected, the home side came out of the traps looking to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, but the ‘Gate showed their resilience, nullifying Ashford’s early attempts.

Margate’s first real chance of the game came after just five minutes, when Ben Greenhalgh delicately placed a ball just outside the six-yard box. Jordon Ababio tried to convert it goalwards, however, was unable to shake off his defender.

18 minutes on the clock and we saw the first goal of the game go to Margate! It was to be Ashford’s former captain Harvey Brand, who drove forward from midfield, unleashing a shot outside the box with the ball finding its way into the bottom corner.

The ‘Gate began to attain some control in the game after the goal, and shortly after Harrison Hatfull curled in a cross, but Ibrahim Olutade was unable to get a strong enough connection.

We entered the first minute of three minutes added on at the end of the first half, and it looked like the ‘Gate would be going in ahead, but Ashford’s Max Walsh had other ideas when he cut inside from the right, and produced a shot simply out of the reach of Tom Wray, and the game was level at the break.

50 minutes in and the ‘Gate were awarded a penalty! Ababio let off a shot inside the box and was impeded in doing so. Greenhalgh stepped up, but unfortunately Mitchell Beaney read it well and made a save to keep the score level.

It was all very quiet until the 63rd minute, when Olutade, who had looked like scoring on a couple of occasions, managed to get on the end of Ababio’s ball in, and his first-time finish flashed past the ‘keeper and smashed the back of the net!

Ashford took control of the game now being behind, their next big chance coming just shy of 80 minutes, when substitute St Louis curls one with his left foot, but Wray denies the attacker with a fantastic diving save.

The resulting corner from St Louis’s strike is initially cleared, however Jack Saunders for Ashford was sat on the edge of the box, and when the ball fell to him, he thrashed it into the top corner, giving Wray no chance at all.

A frustrating game at times, but the ‘Gate left with a point and still unbeaten, looking forward to Monday’s seaside derby fixture against Herne Bay.

Margate XI: 1. Tom Wray, 2. Harrison Hatfull, 4. Harvey Brand, 6. Harry Hudson, 7. Jordon Ababio, 9. Lukas Franzen-Jones (James Bessey-Saldanha 60’), 10. Ibrahim Olutade, 11. Ben Greenhalgh, 12. Lewis Knight, 14. Brandon Davey, 17. Kai Garande.

Goalscorers: Harvey Brand (18’) and Ibrahim Olutade (63’)

Margate Media Man of the Match: Ibrahim Olutade

Attendance: 572

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