Great performance at Margate

The Club Board decided to stay in the Margate area on the Friday night. What a great decision that was as the players enjoyed a restful night before the game. On Saturday morning the M4 was closed which could have resulted in a late arrival hads they not stayed overnight.

The Hartsdown Park ground held a decent 650 spectators to witness  the Seagulls first away win since Bishops Stortford on 5 September and captained for the first time by Jamie Edge. ‘The Blues’ came into the game on the back of 3 straight wins so the squad had to be on their best form to get anything from the game.

Bradley Ash scored two goals inside the first twenty minutes, helping us climb off the bottom of the table.

His first was a close range effort after Ben Withey squared from the right flank into his path and seven minutes later the midfielder swept the ball home from 10 yards after another ball from the right flank troubled the hosts.

Margate had their chances though, with Ladapo having two efforts blocked on the line. The Blues keeper did well to deny the Seagulls a third late in the half, saving well from Scott Wilson after he had dispossessed a Margate defender. Early in the second half Scott shot wide of the target from the edge of the box after wriggling free of the home defence.

Ollie Barnes headed a third for the Seagulls, only for it to be chalked off by the offside flag.

Purnell made some great stops late in the game, the best of which was turning substitute Jolley’s 20 yard piledriver onto the bar, after he cut in from the right wing.

The Blues struck the frame of the goal in injury time, through Wassmer’s long range effort, but the Seagulls held firm for a memorable win.

The referee had a mixed game causing both managers and the Assessor to wonder at a number of his decisions.

Squad- Purnell, Keary, Barnes, Pope (Byrne 65), Edge (C), Fortune, Withey, Ash (Page 73), Wilson, Mawford (Cane 81), Llewellyn. Subs not used- Filipov, Wring

Attendance: 650