Margate continue their pre-season campaign this Saturday as they welcome Isthmian Premier Division side Dulwich Hamlet to Hartsdown Park for their sixth friendly ahead of the 2025/26 season.
The Blues will be looking to bounce back following a narrow 3-2 defeat away to SCEFL Premier Division side Corinthian on Tuesday night, where the entire squad was given valuable minutes as preparations ramp up ahead of the new season, which kicks off on August 9th.
Manager Ben Greenhalgh has been clear in recent weeks that supporters can expect to see pre-season preparations step up a gear from this point on. With just two weeks until the season opener against Jersey Bulls at Hartsdown Park, he is expected to field a strong starting XI as the squad edges closer to full match sharpness.
Saturday’s visitors, Dulwich Hamlet, endured a challenging 2024/25 campaign, narrowly avoiding relegation from the Isthmian Premier Division—finishing just one place and five points above the drop zone. However, their pre-season form has shown promise, with victories over Royal Engineers AFC, Basingstoke Town, and Sevenoaks. That momentum was halted last weekend, though, when they fell to a 3-0 defeat at home to Farnham Town.
This fixture rekindles a familiar rivalry between the two sides, whose encounters have spanned everything from FA Cup clashes to crucial league battles and play-off thrillers. The last meeting between the clubs was in February 2024, when Dulwich came away with a 4-1 victory at Hartsdown Park—a tough result for ‘Gate fans during a season that ended in relegation from the Isthmian Premier Division. Steve Cawley provided the sole consolation goal that day.
However, Blues fans will remember far happier moments against Dulwich—most notably the unforgettable 2-1 play-off semi-final win in May 2015. On a rain-soaked evening at Hartsdown Park, goals from Ryan Moss and Lewis Taylor secured Margate a place in the final and ultimately, promotion to the National League South.
Saturday’s fixture promises to be another competitive encounter as both sides fine-tune their squads ahead of the upcoming season.
Kick-off is at 3pm, with gates opening from 1:30pm. Join us at Hartsdown Park and get behind the ’Gate as we build towards 2025/26.
