Hendon (A) - 2nd September 2023
By Josh Cole
It’s the First Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup as the ‘Gate travel to North London to take on Hendon FC on Saturday afternoon.
It was a Kent Derby defeat for Margate last time out on Bank Holiday Monday as we lost 2-0 at the Alcaline Stadium. You can read the full match report by clicking here.
Manager Reece Prestedge gave his post-match thoughts to GateTV after the game watch by clicking here.
SEASONS SO FAR
Hendon, also known as ‘The Dons’ play in the Southern League Premier Division South, which is step 3 of the English Football Pyramid (same as Margate). They are sat in 15th place after six games with one win (3-1 vs Sholing), four draws (2-2 vs Poole Town, 2-2 vs Beaconsfield Town, 0-0 vs Salisbury and 2-2 vs Harrow Borough) and one loss (vs Plymouth Parkway 3-0) putting them on seven points. They have scored nine goals and conceded 10, leaving them with a -1 goal difference.
After the loss on Monday, Margate have dropped four places to 15th on six points from five games with two wins (2-1 vs Whitehawk and 1-2 vs Concord Rangers) and three losses (4-1 vs Hornchurch, 1-2 vs Cheshunt and 2-0 vs Folkestone). We have scored six goals and conceded ten from the first five games putting us on a -4 goal difference.
There have been ten previous fixtures between the Dons and the ‘Gate dating from August 2012 with Margate winning four, Hendon winning three and three games ending in a draw. The last time we faced Hendon was in the Bostik Premier Division at Silver Jubilee Park where the game finished 1-1 with the ‘Gate’s goal being scored by Jay May.
Margate fans will also be reminiscent ahead of the game of May 2015 when Terry Brown’s ‘Gate side beaten Hendon 1-0 in the Isthmian Division Play-off final thanks to a goal from striker Ryan Moss, which secured the Blues a return to the National League South.
Margate have faced Hendon before in the FA Cup, albeit in 1999 where Hendon beat Margate 1-0 and advanced to the First Round Proper.
Montel Agyemang remains side-line after breaking his leg at home to Cheshunt last Friday, however there seems to be no other injury concerns for the Blues ahead of the weekend.
Margate will be wearing the pink away strip for the game, whilst the hosts will play in their Green and White home strip.
The officials for Saturday are: Will Briers (referee), Alphie Ibrahim (assistant referee), and Luke Burford (assistant referee).
Wanting to make the journey to Hendon? Purchase your ticket for the Supporters coach, departing Hartsdown Park at 9:45am with tickets costing £20!
Book your seat here.
If you can’t join us, then you can stay up to date on our X platform @margate_fc from 2:15pm on Saturday afternoon.
STADIUM ADDRESS
SILVER JUBILEE PARK
TOWNSEND LANE
LONDON
NW9 7NE
Blues Progress In Emirates FA Cup
Margate produced a fine second half display as they fought from 1-0 down to beat Hendon 3-2 and book themselves in Monday afternoon’s Emirates FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round draw.
Manager Reece Prestedge made just one change from the 2-0 defeat at Folkestone on Bank Holiday Monday as Leo Mazzone took the place of Daniel Duncanson in midfield.
The hosts started very much on the front foot as the ‘Gate backline repelled several early corners in the opening 15 minutes at Silver Jubilee Park, on a glorious sunny afternoon in North London.
Despite their resilience, Margate were beaten in the 20th minute as Hendon broke quickly on the Blues as the ball found its way to Hamza Semakula who calmly slid the ball past Harry Seaden to give the ‘Dons a 1-0 advantage.
With their goal advantage, Hendon looked lively as they saw opportunities come and go from Shaun Lucien and Niko Muir as they looked to stretch their advantage. The one change that Prestedge had made for this game was then force off with injury as Mazzone was replace by Duncanson in the 24th minute.
Margate seemed to kick into life in the 35th minute as Phil Roberts looked to force the Blues back into the game with a solo run and strike which went wide for the ‘Gate, however they were buoyed by their first real chance.
Despite being 1-0 down, Margate could count themselves unlucky not to be going in at half-time 2-1 up as Hendon keeper Matt Kerbey pulled out two incredible saves in the space of two minutes as he firstly denied Ben Greenhalgh a wonder strike, before moments later denying Sam Blackman a glancing header from the resulting corner.
Hendon started the second half looking threatening as Lucien again tested the reflexes of Seaden who denied the home side a commanding lead.
They weren’t to know at the time, but the introduction of Fyn Rutherford on the hour mark was about to turn this cup tie on its head. Margate were level in the 63rd minute as a Greenhalgh corner was headed onto the bar by Harry Hudson, before the ball fell to Blackman who bundled it home to get the scores level.
Three minutes later and the ‘Gate were in front as a wonderful ball from Greenhalgh was ran onto by Rutherford who expertly lofted it over Kerby to put the Blues ahead with two goals in three minutes.
It was to get even better for Margate as in the 70th minute Greenhalgh again played a precise pass to Steve Cawley who controlled the ball before calmly rolling the ball home to extend the ‘Gate’s lead to 3-1 within seven minutes of levelling.
There was no way that Hendon would simply roll over and with 14 minutes left on the clock, the hosts had reduced the arrears to one as Niko Muir found time and space in the box to turn and fire home to set up a grand finale in North London.
Despite a flurry of attacks, Hendon were unable to spoil the Margate party as the Blues held firm to navigate their way into the hat for the 2nd Qualifying Round draw, where National League South sides will enter the competition.
MARGATE Xl: Seaden, Hatfull, Johnson, Sterling, Hudson, Vasiliou (Rutherford 60’), Blackman, Cawley, Roberts (Cham 88’), Greenhalgh, Mazzone (Duncanson 24’)
Subs not used: Hobbs, Salmon, Sutcliffe, Smith
Goalscorer(s)
Sam Blackman 63’
Fyn Rutherford 66’
Steve Cawley 70’
Attendance
263