Margate FC - 2007 - 2008 Season - Ryman Premier Division - Manager: Robin Trott (Steve McKimm)
Welcome to the Margate FC Season 2007/08 Review. In this year’s review we have edited match commentary highlights for the key games in each month.
Overview
When every season starts, expectations tend to be bullish. But there were mixed expectations from many at Hartsdown Park for the 2007/08 season. Some thought mid-table with increasing success in bringing younger players through would represent a good season while others felt that the Blues should look to build on last season’s sixth place and win a play-off place.
Of course, once the season gets underway expectations change, and when the Blues hit fourth place on 1st December and again on 26th January, the play-off looked a good bet. But just at the vital point, Gate’s form dipped and just one win from the next five games effectively ended Margate’s play-off hopes.
Looking at the reasons for Margate’s failure to win a play-off place could take you to a number of areas. But the goals for and against tell an interesting and critical story. Having scored 71 league goals, Margate’s “goals for” column made better reading than the two losing play-off semi-finalists – Ramsgate and AFC Hornchurch. But, the “goals against” column was worse than relegated East Thurrock United and 14 other clubs. Put another way, conceding 10-15 fewer goals may well have seen another 10+ points accumulated and a place in the play-offs.
These stats and an unsettled defence – in part injury related – were ultimately the reason for manager Robin Trott not being offered a new contract. However, Trott should be recognised for building a team that for the most part looked capable of scoring goals. In fact the Blues scored three or more goals in 11 games, although they did fail to win four of them, pointing to those defensive frailties.
Stat attack
Comparison to previous seasons:
It’s interesting to note that Gate’s goals against this season were 20 more than last, and that equalling last season’s points tally of 71, would have taken the Blues into the play-offs this time round.
Gate goal scorers:
Gate appearances:
* Jonny Hindley, Jason McAfree, Glen Moore, Kenny Pratt, Darryn Vanhinsberg.
[L] = loan player; [R] = released.
So 37 players have donned the blue shirt in a competitive fixture this season.
August
Margate started the season with three different results in their opening three games – a pattern that was to be a feature of the coming season. After a creditable opening day draw with title favourites Chelmsford, Gate tasted defeat at East Thurrock before recording their first win of the season away at Wealdstone by a 4-2 margin.
That first win of the season was to be followed by a 2-0 home win over Horsham; James Pinnock and Charley Side on target for the Blues. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights.
Four games and one month into the season, Margate were seventh in the table having picked up seven out of a possible 12 points from two wins and a draw scoring seven and conceding five goals.
September
September was a busy month as the Blues played seven games, including two in the FA Cup; both away from home.
In the league, Margate started with a 3-1 home win over struggling Tonbridge Angels. The game was effectively over as early as the 10th minute as Charley Side completed a nine-minute hat-trick in an extraordinary opening. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights.
However, Gate’s inconsistency was exposed again as they went down by the odd goal in three to Hastings United, although Danny Williams’ 30-yard strike was a wonderful winning goal. Then after a creditable draw in Middlesex against Staines, Margate returned to Hartsdown where in a poor performance they were beaten for the third time by early pace-setters Hendon. Some semblance of form was regained with an entertaining 1-1 draw at home against AFC Wimbledon.
Over the month, Gate dropped six places to 13th recording just one win and two draws.
In the FA Cup, Margate had to overcome stubborn resistance from Chatham Town; Justin Skinner’s second half strike – his only goal of a season cut short by injury – the highlight. But Margate went one better in their Second Qualifying Round tie at Fisher Athletic. Coming from 0-2 and 1-3 down, Margate secured a superb 4-3 victory against their Blue Square South opponents, Charley Side scoring a brace.
October
If September was a busy month with seven games, October was even busier as Gate went into action on nine occasions; five times in the league, four in three cup competitions.
In the league, the Blues faced Ashford, Carshalton Athletic, Heybridge Swifts and Folkestone Invicta away, and Leyton at home. The only victory that Margate recorded was against Leyton. Even here, the Blues had to become from behind to secure a 2-1 win. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights. Otherwise, two draws and a defeat against Carshalton saw Gate move three places up the table to 10th, by the end of the month.
In the opening game of the month, Margate lost a low-key league cup game to East Thurrock by the odd goal in five. Then, on Saturday 13th October, Margate travelled to Hertfordshire to take on Hitchin Town in the FA Cup. In an extraordinary game the home side took a three goal lead before the Blues staged another cup come back to bring the scores level, with a devastating nine second half minute onslaught. But within two minutes of Gate’s equaliser, the home side sneaked ahead again and held on to claim a hard fought 4-3 win. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights.
Margate also made their entrance into the FA Trophy, needing two games to beat British Gas Business Southern League Eastern Division Aylesbury 3-1, in a replay at Hartsdown.
November
Gate’s record in November read played six, won two, lost four and drew one in all competitions. Four of those six games were in the league where the Blues recorded a balanced set of results; two wins and two defeats.
Margate’s two victories came at home against Harrow Borough and away at Billericay. The Harrow win represented a fourth undefeated league game in succession – a season’s best at the time – and a record of just one defeat in eight games across all competitions. And this with a squad that has been missing key men at times, through injury and to a lesser extent suspension. The goals came from Jay Saunders and Steve McKimm – who between them would go on to score 13 goals across the season. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights of the win over Harrow Borough.
The win against a Billericay side surprisingly struggling at the wrong end of the table was hard fought with James Pinnock. It was a crucial goal for the Margate number nine as he was to go on and score in three consecutive games for the first time in the season; a feat he was to go on a repeat another twice.
However, sandwiched between Gate’s two victories was the disappointing defeat at home to Maidstone. The Blues struggled all season to close games out, but when 3-1 up at Hartsdown against the struggling Stones, the points looked to be – and should have been - in the bag. But defensive frailties were to cost Margate again as the visitors came back to snatch a win by the odd goal in seven. Gate’s final game of the season was at home to Boreham Wood, another game where a Margate lead was to be cancelled out within five minutes by their opponents.
Despite two home defeats, the Blues did manage to move two places up the table in the month with six from a possible 12 points, ending November in eighth place.
Margate’s cup exploits in November focused on the FA Trophy and Leamington. The Midlanders deserved their replay win at Hartsdown Park, but the first game in Warwickshire will be remembered for the significant number of controversial decisions made by the game’s officials. Not that one side or the other benefited particularly, but the frustration of players and fans alike was obvious and completely understandable.
December
Gate played another seven games in December; six in the league and a Kent Senior Cup first round win at home against a youthful Welling.
Margate managed another balanced month in terms of results with two wins, two draws and two defeats. Taking the defeats first, they both came at the end of the month, either side of the Boxing Day derby with Ramsgate. The first was a 5-1 mauling at eventual champions Chelmsford City. A goal up against the run of play in the first half, the Blues were blown away by the home side in the second half. And in the final game of 2007, Horsham gained revenge for their defeat at Hartsdown Park earlier in the season.
Gate started the month in good form, going three games unbeaten with to wins and a draw. After beating AFC Hornchurch and finishing all square at Harlow Margate then welcomed East Thurrock to Hartsdown and recorded a very satisfying 4-1 win. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights of this game.
Of course as soon as the fixtures were released last summer, the first fixture everyone looked for was the derby against Ramsgate. In the event, the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in front of over 1,500. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights of the Thanet derby.
Although the win over Hornchurch had taken Margate up to fourth, right from a possible 18 points across the month meant that Blues ended 2007 up a place overall seventh.
January
Just four games for the Blues in January as postponements took hold of the fixture list. One of those games was a 2-1 home win in the Kent Senior Cup against Chatham Town – the second time in the season that Gate had played the Ryman Division One South side.
That left just three league games, but the Blues won them all, ending the month in fourth place and with what looked to be a good chance of a play-off place.
Margate’s clean sweep came against Ashford, Carshalton and Boreham Wood. The pick of the games was the 4-2 home win over Carshalton, although in the first half, it was Scott Chalmers-Stevens who almost single-handedly laid the foundation for Gate’s win with a string of top class saves. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights of this game.
February
This was the month that effective killed off Margate’s play-off hopes. Going into the month in fourth place, it was in Gate’s hands. But five games, one win, one draw and three defeats later the Blues had dropped five places to ninth.
The opening two games of February were the killers. Consecutive defeats to two sides in the bottom three; at home to Hastings particularly and away at Tonbridge Angels really did the damage.
Bizarrely, those games were followed by one of Gate’s best performances of the season against promotion chasing Staines Town. After a first half that saw the two sides cancel each other out, Staines won a fortunate penalty and went into a second half lead. But then three Margate goals in the final quarter – including goals 18 and 19 for James Pinnock ensured the Blues won all three points. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights of this game.
Margate followed this game up with a draw away at Hendon and in the last game of the season were unfortunate to loose by the odd goal in three, scored deep into added time at AFC Wimbledon.
March
Gate started the month well with two wins in two. The opening game of seven for the month (including a Kent Senior Cup clash with Ebbsfleet United) saw Margate score with just one minute on the clock and then again with just a minute of added time remaining at the end of second half stoppage time. In between, Maidstone had scored a first half equaliser. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights of this game.
The win at Bourne Park was followed by a hard fought narrow win over Billericay; one of just three doubles that the Blues chalked up across the season. But then Margate’s inconsistency struck again as the Blues lost at Hornchurch and threw away a comfortable two-goal lead against Wealdstone at Hartsdown Park.
Then Margate made the short trip across the Isle of Thanet and were unfortunate to come away pointless as the Rams inflicted a 1-0 defeat on Gate. With a home draw to end the month’s league games, the haul of eight from a possible 18 points was simply not enough to make up any ground on the teams above them, and the Blues slipped another two places to 11th.
In the Kent Senior Cup, Margate went out at the semi-final stage to a youthful, pacey and skilful Ebbsfleet United.
April
Gate ended the season in entertaining fashion and should have concluded with a maximum 16 points; but Folkestone Invicta had other ideas.
Hartsdown Park witnessed one of the most entertaining games of the season when the Blues ran out 5-4 winners against lowly Heybridge Swifts. At 5-2 with 15 minutes remaining it looked al over, but another two goals for the visitors set up a tense finale but Gate held out to record what was ultimately a deserved win. The game also notable for Pinnock's 23rd, 24th and 25th goals of the season; his first senior hat-trick. CLICK HERE for edited match highlights of this game.
Margate then went on to record a 4-2 win at relegated Leyton but only after coming from behind after the home side raced into a 2-0 lead by the 26th minute. This ultimately proved to be Manager Robin Trott’s last game in charge as he was told that he was not going to be offered a new deal and would not have to work through the reminder of the season.
With Player / Coach Steve McKimm installed as Caretaker Manager, Folkestone Invicta visited Hartsdown Park. Margate surrendered 1-0 and 3-1 leads as they finished their home campaign with a disappointing home defeat at the hands of ultimately relegated Invicta. But the Blues did recover to record a low key win at Harrow Borough in the last game of what was ultimate a season that fell short of expectations, despite nine form a possible 12 points taking Margate back up the table, by two places to ninth.
Gate’s monthly progress
Margate’s next season is shaping up to be very different from last. With an impressive looking management structure behind new Manager Barry Ashby, the emphasis will be on more younger, local players. With last season’s seasoned professionals all now at new clubs, it’s all change for the Blues as a new era is ushered in at Hartsdown Park.
See THE MATCHES pages for this season's match reports and associated interviews and match commentaries.
See the MFC ARCHIVE for match reports and associated interviews and match commentaries from previous seasons. |
