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Billy Smith received the Ryman award for
Augusts performance of the month (for that memorable Sutton
match) before kick off. This time the curse of the
pre-match presentation was not to visit Imperial Fields as the
Terrors shaded what was surely the most entertaining and
evenly contested game we've seen this season.
Ex 'gate man Romauld Bouadji opened the
scoring early with one of his trademark headers from a third
minute corner. John Henry-Hayden kept popping up across
the width of the pitch constantly hustling the visitors,
notably in the 11th minute when he won the ball on half way,
weaved his way down the left flank, eluding three opponents,
only to have his final pass intercepted as he cut into the
area. A Grant effort shortly after ended with a weak shot,
easily gathered by Chalmers-Stevens.
Margate, splendidly backed by an impressive
midweek away army of supporters, were playing their full part
in proceedings and a quarter of an hour in some agricultural
Tooting defending presented them with a free kick just outside
the D. Ryan Peters, one of the few survivors from last
seasons side, stepped up to coolly curl the ball into the top
corner with the returning King hopelessly beaten.
Terrors fought back with a couple of half
chances for Grant, but it was 'gate who started looking the
more dangerous, going close with a glancing header from a left
sided cross and forcing Dave King to prove that he is still
the boss when it comes to aerial goalmouth tennis. Louis
Smith declined the offer of the infamous Tooting stretcher as
Lance and co converged to scoop him from the turf (sensible
guy), having conceded a free kick 20 yards out which Bouadji
popped just over the top.
Four minutes before the break the visitors
almost took the lead as King rushed out to deal with a threat
down the right flank. Fortunately goal line cover arrived and
scrambled the goal bound shot past the post for a corner. The
resultant counter attack saw a long cross from the right find
Jamie Byatt outside the box on the left. Jamies' full
volley curled past the outstretched keepers arms and settled in
the back of the net for a serious goal of the season contender
- one for the perfectionists.
Half Time
2 -
1
Both sides continued where they had left
off. Grant again demonstrated how quickly his game is
maturing with some mazy dribbling and Muguo started to show
why Billy was so keen to capture his signature. Margate
came close from a free kick on the quarter hour, but the later
it got the more their inexperience started to show. As the
visitors tried to press for an equaliser substitute Quain
cynically uprooted Hamlin as he broke on the counter
attack. The introduction of Paul Vines to replace an
exhausted JHH offered a reminder that throwing caution to the
wind was a dangerous strategy.
Just before the half hour King produced his
save of the match from a Margate breakaway, but it was Tooting
who had the better chances in the closing period. Byatt had an
effort tipped over, a Hamlin/Byatt/Vines combination was
cleared for a corner and Grant released Vines into the box,
only to be crowded out in a forest of defensive legs. Margate
did get the ball in the Tooting net at the death, but play had
stopped some while before and the effort was not contested by
the home defence. Parkinson vented his frustration and was
shown red for his trouble..
A wonderful evenings entertainment from two
well matched sides. It can only be a matter of time
before the youngsters from Thanet start to clock up some
points - of the league variety.
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