Kingstonian (H) - 16th December 2023
By Josh Cole
Back-to-back games at Hartsdown Park as we take on Kingstonian for matchday #20 of the Isthmian Premier Division.
Family Fun Day returns to HDP on Saturday with every U18 getting in for free alongside one free adult! In addition, school staff can get in for free with their school ID’s!
Last Saturday we were defeated by Carshalton Athletic for Mark Stimson’s first game in charge. You can read the match report from that game by clicking here.
OPPONENTS SEASON SO FAR
Kingstonian occupy one of the relegation spots as they are sat in 20th on 11 points. In their first five games of the season they picked up just three points, which was a win against Canvey Island. They then picked up seven points from their next six games but have only got one point since their win against Folkestone in October. With 27 goals scored and 37 goals conceded they have a -10 goal difference and have also conceded the joint most in the league. The K’s have the worst away form in the league with no wins, two draws and six losses.
You can view the full league table by clicking here.
LAST FIVE: MARGATE
Loss vs Billericay, home (1-3) League
Draw vs Bognor Regis, away (2-2) League
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
LAST FIVE: KINGSTONIAN
Draw vs Haringey Borough, away (2-2) League
Loss vs Cheshunt United, away (5-4) League
Loss vs Hornchurch, home (0-3) League
Draw vs Westfield, home (3-3) Surrey Senior Cup 2nd Round
Loss vs Potters Bar, home (0-2) League
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Margate and Kingstonian and have faced 30 times with the ‘Gate winning 10, the K’s winning 11 and nine ending in a draw. The last time we met at Harstdown Park was the first game of last season where we drew 1-1 thanks to a Ben Greenhalgh 90th minute penalty.
MATCH OFFICIALS
The referee for this fixture is Benjamin McDonald, and he will be assisted by Benjamin Marshall and Nicholas Bone.
Can't make it down to Hartsdown Park to watch the match? Head over to our official X account @Margate_fc for live match updates from 2:10pm onwards!
UP THE ‘GATE
Blues Frustrated By Late Leveller
By Riley Finch
Emmanuel Adebiyi’s late wonder goal denied Mark Stimson his first win since his arrival at Hartsdown Park in a 2-2 draw against Kingstonian.
Steve Cawley’s cooly dispatched penalty looked as though it had won it for the Gate who came from behind to lead with ten minutes to go after Ben Greenhalgh was brought down in the box.
Kingstonian had previously taken the lead just two minutes into the second-half.
A quick counter attack caught Margate off guard and Mason Saunders-Henry took advantage of the goal mouth scramble to slot past Harry Seaden.
If Margate were to score a goal, it looked certain that it would come from a set-piece having come close on numerous occasion in the first-half after some trademark Greenhalgh dead-ball deliveries.
Lewis Knight headed just over on a number of occasion, one of which grazing the bar on its way.
Eventually one did go our way after Greenhalgh’s wicked delivery found Tyrone Sterling at the far post to bundle the ball in to draw the score level.
Kingstonian also hit the woodwork in a tense second-half which saw four goals but how we did not see any goals in the first-half left both sets of fans puzzled.
As well as Knighty’s crossbar bound header, Greenhalgh’s cheeky shot from the halfway line almost caught Rob Tolfrey out to put us one up.
It was the away side who boasted the chance of the half however as a chipped ball escaped Knight for Saunders-Henry to latch on to leaving him one on one with Seaden.
The midfielder cooly rolled the ball past our scrambling goalkeeper but somehow found the wrong side of the post and the shot dribbled wide.
Ultimately, it was Adebiyi who would have the final say on he thrilling contest.
The 23-year-old midfielder curled home a fantastic equaliser from the edge of the box on the stroke of 90-minute mark to earn a dramatic point for his side, which in the end was the least either side deserved.
The draw moves Margate to 16th in the table and ends a run of three losses on the bounce.
In just two games, it seems as though Stimson’s influence is already taking effect, earning one point in his first two games in charge.
Archie Johnson and Harrison Hatful both suffered injuries during the game, Hatful was replaced in the second-half and Johnson was pulled out of the first-team minutes before kick-off because of an injury sustained last week.
With ten days to prepare, hopefully our fullbacks will be back for our next test against Cray Wanderers on Boxing Day.
Until then, have a very Merry Christmas Blues fans from all of us here at Margate.
Margate: Harry Seaden, Harrison Hatfull (Fyn Rutherford 71'), Lewis Knight, Godfrey Poku, Tyrone Sterling, Harry Hudson, Rohdell Gordon, Sam Blackman , Steve Cawley, Ben Greenhalgh, Olly Box
Unused Subs: Reece Hobbs, Vinnie Bowman, Leo Mazzone
Margate Goalscorer's
Tyrone Sterling 63'
Steve Cawley 80' PEN
Attendance
415