Seven Goal Thriller Concludes Campaign

By Tom Morris

The Gate's final game of the 2018-2019 season was a seven-goal thriller at the McCullocks Arena.

The weather threatened to disappoint, but the fans were decked out in Hawaiian shirts and the attacking football on display certainly didn’t. 

Margate were led out by James Rogers who was making his final appearance for The Gate before retiring from football.

Possession was shared evenly in the early exchanges, Perntreou made several comfortable saves from a free kick and corner and The Gate threatened from a corner in the 18th minutes but both defences held firm. 

The goal fest started in the 26th minutes as Scott Davis curled a free-kick into the far corner and beyond the outstretched hand of Perntreou from all of 25 yards, 1-0 to the hosts.

Margate should have been level three minutes later as Liam Friend failed to head home a Collin’s corner and the resultant cross from Robins was headed wide by Sho-Silva from the centre of the box. 

The pressure was mounting on a Harlow defence that had already been breached more than 90 times this season and the Gate were awarded a penalty in the 33rd minutes for a trip on Robins.

Rogers stepped up and calmly rolled the ball into the corner of Bexon’s goal. 1-1, and a goal for our skipper on his final appearance. 

Both teams looked to reorganise after the goals and there were no more clear-cut chances as the referee ended the first half with the score 1-1.

The second stated at a frantic pace: with little over a minute on the clock Jordy Robins played a delightful through ball over the stop of the Harlow defence, Tobi Sho-Silva latched onto the ball, out paced his marker and riffled the ball home past Josh Bexon. 2-1 Margate. 

The next 15 minutes saw two more chances for Sho-Silva to add to his tally, Liam Friend head a corner across the goal line and Frannie Collin draw a smart save form the goal keeper with a well struck half-volley.

In the 65th minutes, and out of nowhere, Tom Hitchcock collected a through ball and slotted the ball home with the Gate defenders appealing for offside. 

2-2, but not for long as one minutes later Jack Paxman raced away down the right-hand channel and picked out Sho-Silva will an excellent cross that he managed to flick into the far corner. 3-2 Margate.

Then in the 74th minute Harlow drew level again as Matthew Foy capitalised on a defensive error and calmly beat Perntreou with the whole goal to aim for. 3-3. 

Margate rang the changes as Noel Leighton, Keanu Williams and Marshall Wratten replaced Connor Dymond, Frannie Collin and Ben Fitchett.

The winning goal came in the 78th minute where at the second attempt Sho-Silva beat an unlucky Bexon and completed his hat-trick from another Robins through ball. 

4-3 Margate and still time for Tobi to have a forth goal disallowed for offside from a Swifty lay off. 

The final few minutes did not yield anymore goals and the final whistle went on the 2018-2019 season with Margate securing a 10th away win and finishing the campaign in 12th position with 59 points. 

Margate: Perntreou, Mills, Dymond, Paxman, Fitchett, Swift, Friend, Rogers ©, Robins, Collin, Sho-Silva

Subs: Kallmeier, Williams, Flisher, Leighton, Wratten.

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