Folkestone Invicta (H) - 1st January 2024
By Josh Cole
A New Year’s Day classic as we host our local rivals Folkestone Invicta at Hartsdown Park to kick off 2024 on Monday afternoon.
You can get your tickets for this match by clicking here.
After discussions with the league, our 0-0 draw with Cray Wanderers on Boxing Day has officially been declared as a draw, and the table has been updated to show this.
Due to last Friday’s postponement, we will be without our captain Sam Blackman as he serves his final game suspended for picking up ten yellow cards.
OPPONENTS SEASON SO FAR
Invicta are struggling this season, occupying one of the four relegation spots in 19th on 19 points from 19 games. Folkestone started off the season with a bang, winning 4-0 away at Wingate & Finchley before losing their next two games to Chatham and Enfield Town. Then a five-game unbeaten run followed those two losses with three draws and two wins, which included the 2-0 win over us at the Alcaline Stadium. Then a complete switch of form as they won just one of their next five before beating Billericay 1-0 at home. After a 1-1 draw with Haringey, Folkestone parted with ways with Michael Everitt and Roland Edge. Former ‘Gate manager Andy Drury stepped into the dugout and became Invicta’s new gaffer. Since his appointment, Folkestone have lost their last five games which included a 5-0 hammering at home to Hastings and most recently a 1-3 home defeat to Hashtag United.
Margate sit 13th in the home form table with 15 points from 11 games whilst Folkestone are 19th in the away table with eight points from ten games.
You can view the full league table by clicking here.
LAST FIVE: MARGATE
Loss vs Enfield Town, away (2-0) League
Loss vs Whitehawk, away (3-1) Velocity Trophy 3rd Round
Loss vs Carshalton Athletic, home (0-1) League
Draw vs Kingstonian, home (2-2) League
Draw vs Cray Wanderers, away (0-0) League
LAST FIVE: FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Loss vs Bognor Regis, home (0-1) League
Loss vs Hastings United, home (0-2) Velocity Trophy 4th Round
Loss vs Horsham, away (2-1) League
Loss vs Hastings United, home (0-5) League
Loss Vs Hashtag United, home (1-3) League
HEAD-TO-HEAD
There have been 16 meetings between the ‘Gate and Invicta, with Margate winning five, Folkestone winning seven and four ending in a draw. We have played our local rivals three times so far this season, the first time in the league where Folkestone won 2-0 at The Alcaline Stadium. We then drew them in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup where an entertaining 2-2 draw forced a replay at Folkestone and the ‘Gate won that 1-3. Highlights from that breathtaking 2-2 draw at Hartsdown Park can be watched by clicking here.
Bragging rights for this season are in the balance with the head-to-head for this season alone at one win each and one draw.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee for this clash on New Year’s Day is Kane Dempster and he will be assisted by Luke Morley and Joshua Williams.
Not able to make it to Hartsdown Park? Stay tuned with all the action by following all the action on our official X account @Margate_fc with live updates commencing from 2:15pm!
UP THE ‘GATE
Blues Defeated On New Years Day
By Riley Finch
It was Folkestone who extended their new year celebrations as a quick-fire David Smith brace was enough to take the Derby Day spoils in a hard fought match at Hartsdown Park.
Captain Harry Hudson gave away a penalty seventeen-minutes into the match after his effort at clearing the ball was deemed to have caught an Invicta player., much to the disbelief of both the fans and players at Hartsdown Park.
Smith cooly dispatched his pen, sending Harry Seaden the wrong way, to give the away side an early lead.
Just five-minutes later, Seaden couldn’t get a firm enough hand to deny Smith’s clever header from creeping in at the far post after a wicked cross and our rivals doubled their lead.
Having conceded two in quick succession, the Gate were keen to respond quickly.
Archie Johnson almost provided the answer we were looking for but his effort went just wide after Steve Cawley found him at the back-post with a searching cross.
At half-time, it was clear that Margate needed something to help them find that extra gear after struggling to get a foothold in the first-half.
Mark Stimson’s double substitution twenty-minutes from full-time saw the introduction of young Vinnie Bowman and new signing Taner Dogan.
With the pair on, the Gate applied late pressure to the visitors which seemed as though it could provide a late comeback.
Sadly it simply wasn’t our day.
The best chance of all fell to Tyrone Sterling with his powerful header blocked off the line by a Folkestone head to deny us a way back into the contest.
Despite a resilient late charge by Margate, Folkestone stood firm to secure a much needed three-points.
The win leapfrogs our opponents above us in the table, leaving Margate in a difficult position just one point above the relegation zone.
Margate limited our rivals to few chances despite conceding twice and produced a resilient last twenty-minutes to try and claw one back.
Our next match will be another tough test as travel to the infamous Enclosed Ground of Whitehawk this Saturday at 3PM.
Margate: Harry Seaden, Archie Johnson, Godfrey Poku (Taner Dogan 71'), Tyrone Sterling, Harry Hudson, Rohdell Gordon (Vinnie Bowman 72'), Steve Cawley, Ellis Ashworth, Ben Greenhalgh, Fyn Rutherford, Lewis Knight
Unused Subs: Reece Hobbs, Leo Mazzone, Joshua Tobin
Attendance: 557