Leatherhead| 08.01.22

Leatherhead| 08.01.22

Match Preview

The Blues will travel to face Leatherhead on Saturday in their next away game in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

This is the final match against Leatherhead for this season and The Blues will be hoping to continue their run of great form with another away win. The first time these two teams faced this season ended in a 4-2 win for Margate at Hartsdown park. This time The Blues travel to Fetcham Grove in hopes to take the three points again.

Leatherhead are currently bottom of the league table and will certainly be desperate to take any points from the match in an attempt to change the course of their season. Margate are now 8th in the league and look to build on their win streak with a win this saturday.

Kick off is at 15:00 Fetcham Grove Guildford Road, Fetcham, Leatherhead KT22 9AS

As always if you are unable to attend you can keep up to date at the clubs official Twitter @margate_fc

By Tommy Park

'Gate Held To No Score Draw

Margate were held to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday night away at Leatherhead as they missed out on the chance to close the gap on the Isthmian Premier Division play-offs.

Manager Jay Saunders freshened up his side by bringing in Vance Bola and giving a first full debut to on-loan Gillingham striker Joe Gbode.

With Leatherhead fighting for their survival this was always going to be a tough fixture for the ‘Gate, but they started the opening 30 minutes with real intent as they went in search of the opening goal as Montel Agyemang and Benas Vaivada looked to cause the hosts trouble early on.

Bola found some space on the right hand side of the Leatherhead box shortly after but his well hit shot was comfortably saved by Leatherheads on-loan Brighton goalkeeper Adam Desbois.

The Blues felt they should have been awarded a penalty soon after as Gbode broke through on goal and seemed to be clipped as he pulled the trigger but despite the strong appeals from the ‘Gate players. the referee waved play on. It only looked like Margate would open the scoring as Gbode saw another effort well blocked before a Ben Greenhalgh cross landed at the feet of Lewis Knight who saw his volley go narrowly wide.

The second half started with further controversy as just seven minutes in Ben Bridle-Card saved well before a follow up shot was blocked by a ‘Gate defender, however the hosts were incensed that no penalty was not awarded as they felt it was blocked by a hand, however the game continued with no penalty awarded.

The hosts were starting to grow into the game as former ‘Gate players Jake Embery and Archie Burnett saw chances come and go as the score line remained 0-0 heading into the final fifteen minutes.

Margate freshened things up again as they introduced Harrison Hatfull to the game and it almost worked wonders as Vaivada threaded through a ball to the sub who pounced onto it but saw his effort well saved by Debois in the home sides goal with just nine minutes of the game remaining.

A last gasp half chance fell the way of James Bessey-Saldanha but there was to be no heroics like Saturday as the travelling Blues fans had to settle for a point and travel back to Kent still seven points off the play-off places.

MARGATE: Bridle-Card, Lema, Anderson, Agyemang Knight, Swift, Vaivada, Blackman (Hatfull 80’), Gbode, Bola (Bessey-Saldanha 74’), Greenhalgh

Subs Not Used: Lamb, Kallmeier, Rutherford

Margate Man of the Match

Benas Vaivada

Attendance

352