Cray Wanderers |27.12.21

The Blues secure victory against Cray Wanderers |27.12.21

Match report

On Monday The Blues travelled to face Cray Wanderers in their final match of 2021 in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Right from the off the match was fast paced while both teams were battling for chances on goal. Initially the hosts were controlling the ball a little more with a few close chances on the Margate goal. The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute when Kyle Reid received the ball on the left wing and cut into the edge of the box, striking the ball through the crowd into the bottom left corner.

Cray Wanderers 1-0 Margate

Margate were dangerous on the counter attack, playing the ball onto the wing and moving into the hosts box but they were struggling to seriously threaten Crays goal. Margate were close to taking the lead in the 23rd minute after Bolas dangerous run into the box where he was tackled and the ball fell to Godo however he couldn't quite get a shot off in time.

Margate equalised in the 36th minute when Ben Greenhalgh took a strike from range and his deflected shot dropped to the edge of the box. Godo capitalised and ran onto the loose ball beating the keeper calmly and slotting it into the open net.

Cray Wanderers 1-1 Margate

Neither team could gain the upper hand in the first half and the match was end to end throughout. The teams were tied going into half time.

At the start of the second half The Blues were starting to gain more control of the match, utilising their pace to make runs down the wings on the counter attack. In the 51st minute Margate took the lead when Crossley Lema made a darting run down the right wing and Lewis Knight played the ball onto his run with precision. Lema took the ball in stride into the box and fired it into the near post past the keeper.

Cray Wanderers 1-2 Margate

Margate nearly extended their lead in the 69th minute after the ball fell to Godo in the hosts box but his shot was just high and smashed against the crossbar. Margate again came agonisingly close to extending their league in the 71st minute after Montel took a strike from range and the keeper palmed the ball across his goal line. The Cray keeper managed to claw it out of the goal and no goal was given. Almost immediately down the other end with Margate still in shock, Chris Dickson equalised for Cray as his shot from range deflected over Ben Bridle-Card.

Cray Wanderers 2-2 Margate.

Margate were still determined to take all of the points from this game and they continued to press on. The Blues took the lead through sheer tenacity in the 77th minute from Greenhalghs corner. The corner initially fell to Ben Swift who headed it towards goal. The Cray keeper palmed the shot to the side but Knight was there to head it home and put his side once again in the lead.

Cray Wanderers 2-3 Margate.

The rest of the match was end to end and hard fought but Margate were strong in defence and continued to cause trouble for the hosts. In the dying minutes Margate controlled the ball and the pace of play to see the game out and secure their three points.

Margate XI: Ben Bridle-Card, Crossley Lema, Joe Anderson, Montel Agyemang, Lewis Knight, Ben Swift©, Sam Blackman, Vance Bola, Ben Greenhalgh, James Bessey-Saldanha, Martial Godo.

Subs: Ryan Palmer(78’), Harrison Hatfull, Fyn Rutherford, Jack Richards, Daniel Thompson(90+2’).

Goalscorers: Martial Godo(36’), Crossley Lema (51’), Lewis Knight (77’)

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