Margate play their penultimate away game of the 2025/26 season as they hit the road to face VCD Athletic on Saturday afternoon.
The ‘Gate’s play-off chances were all but ended on Bank Holiday Monday as they were beaten at Hartsdown Park 1-0 by Herne Bay.
That defeat followed a six game winning streak which looked like giving the Blues an unlikely charge on the top five from where they were at the beginning of March.
In that six game winning streak, the Blues earned a superb 2-0 away win at AFC Whyteleafe which extended our incredible away form which has seen just one defeat in our last 14 away games, that came at Champions elect Three Bridges on December 6th 2025.
Saturday’s hosts are all but relegated after sitting nine points from safety heading into the final three games. Anything but a win in this game would relegate them, and even that may not be enough.
It has been a difficult season in step 4 for VCD having won promotion from the SCEFL Premier Division last season. Last Saturday’s 1-0 win away at Deal Town gave them another week at step 4, and also ended a run of three straight defeats.
When these two sides met at Hartsdown Park in September it was the Blues that ran out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Ibrahim Olutade and Henry Young, which turned out to be Margate’s first league win of the 2025/26 season.
That meeting in September was the first game in 10 years between the two teams. It was VCD who ran out 3-0 winners at Hartsdown Park that day in 2015 as Margate prepared for their Isthmian Premier Division Play-off fight. This will be the first meeting at VCD Athletic since November 2014 when the Blues ran out 3-0 winners thanks to goals from Tambeson Eyong, Ryan Moss and Luke Moore.
Margate will be wearing their away strip for this fixture and kick-off is scheduled for 3pm.
Ground Address
Oakwood
Old Road,
Crayford,
Kent,
DA1 4DN
