Margate made it four wins in a row on Tuesday evening with a near perfect 2-0 victory away at Beckenham Town.
Manager Ben Greenhalgh made three changes ahead of the game with TT Walters, Kane Haysman and Ronnie Vint replacing Harrison Hatfull, Brandon Davey and Lewis Knight.
Both sides, needing wins for different reasons started reasonably well. The hosts saw an early effort dragged just wide, before Greenhalgh saw an effort brilliantly blocked to deny the ‘Gate an opener.
Margate keeper Dino Kaiser made the first meaningful save as he denied a Alfie Bloomfield shot, diving to his right to tip it wide.
With 35 minutes on the clock, Greenhalgh thought he had given Margate the lead as he superbly leapt at the back post, however his header back across goal fell agonisingly wide of the post as Margate looked to step it up once more.
Neither side created anything else before the break as they both headed in level, however Margate would now have the benefit of the howling wind behind them in the second half.
It took just five minutes of the second half for Margate to take advantage of the wind as Greenhalgh delivered a superb free-kick into the six yard box which was duly tucked home by Ibrahim Olutade to give the ‘Gate a 1-0 lead.
Margate had their tails up and almost doubled their lead immediately as Haysman saw an effort well saved as Margate looked to increase their advantage.
It was soon to be 2-0 as Olutade raced onto a through ball, kept his composure and rolled the ball past the keeper who was bearing down on him. It was his 50th goal for Margate in just his second season at HDP.
Beckenham showed some fight in the final ten minutes as Ronnie Vint was forced to clear an effort off the line, before the hosts clipped the post two minutes later, however there was to be no drama as Margate saw out the final eight minutes comfortably to record their fourth win a row and move just six points off the play-off places with six games to play.
Margate XI: Kaiser, Oke, Young, Vint, Hudson, Walters (Hatfull 75’), Blackman (Davey 60’), Olutade (Derry 75’), Greenhalgh, Haysman (Nkwocha 85’), Garande
Subs not used: Knight
Margate Goalscorer
Ibrahim Olutade 50’, 64’
Attendance
258
