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MFC 1, Sutton Utd 1 (RPL)
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Margate secured a hard fought and valuable point against play-off chasing Sutton United at Hartsdown Park this evening. Leroy Huggins got Gate’s goal – his third in as many matches - seven minutes before the break, but the lead lasted just three minutes.
Manager Iain O’Connell kept faith with the same starting line up for the third time in succession; a factor that must surely be behind Gate’s improving form. Dan Stubbs continued to effectively deputise for the suspended Curtis Robinson on the left side of defence and the central defensive unit of Dan Young, John Keister and Grant Cooper have an established, business-like look about them.
There were three links to Margate in the Sutton squad with Steve McKimm starting in midfield and Antony Joseph and Charlie Taylor on the bench.
While the visitors enjoyed a good proportion of the attacking possession throughout the game, Margate rarely looked troubled by the league’s runners-up elect. Indeed, neither keeper was overly troubled by two forward lines that found the opposing defenders in resolute mood. Indicative of the limited attacking opportunities was the fact that neither side was able to fashion a corner throughout the whole of the opening half.
The first opportunity to open the scoring came on the nine minute mark but Sutton put the ball comfortably wide of Jamie Turner’s left post. It was another nine minutes before anything of any significance happened in either penalty area. This time it was Margate who were attacking. Aaron Lacey’s long throw was punched poorly by Kevin Scriven and as both sets of players tried to win possession of the ball, Margate’s Sam Jones was knocked down inside the area leading to loud appeals for a penalty that the referee turned down.
On 24 minutes the ball dropped invitingly for James Pinnock – yet to open his second account for the club – from another Lacey long throw from the left, but the ball was always drifting away from the Margate striker and in the end his volley on the turn went wide of the target.
Four minutes later Pinnock had another shot but that effort was charged down. A minute after that, Margate came forward playing perhaps their best football of the match. Huggins found his route to goal blocked and instead fed the ball to Dan Stubbs on the left. Stubbs moved towards the edge of the area and chipped the ball into the edge of the six-yard box for Jay Saunders who had gone forward from midfield, but Scriven was alert to the danger and got to the ball just ahead of the Margate skipper.
Just after the half hour mark, the U’s moved forward with Alan Pouton who fed the ball wide to Billy Hawes. He sent the ball into the Margate area from where Sam Gargan rose to head the ball downwards from the edge of the six-yard box, but Gate keeper Jamie Turner was equal to it and saved well. Then on 36 minutes Sonny Cobbs pulled a shot wide of the target as the U’s came forward again.
But, seven minutes before the break, the Blues took the lead. Sam Jones won a throw in on the left; deep inside the Sutton right back area. Lacey got good distance with the ball which was nodded back to Huggins who took the ball on his chest, turned and volleyed the ball into the goal from eight yards.
The questions was how long could Margate hold onto the lead. Three minutes later, we had our answer.
From a free kick on the right when Bradley Woods-Garness was brought down, the ball was sent into the Margate area from where defender Steve Perkins swept the ball beyond Turner and into the Margate net for the equaliser.
The second half continued in the same vein as the first; Sutton enjoying most possession but still failing to exert undue pressure on the Margate goal. If anything, Margate did see a little more of the ball but like their opponents, they found the defenders they faced in good form and well organised.
The half started badly for Margate when midfielder Nick Barnes was forced off three minutes in with a hamstring problem, to be replaced by Lloyd Blackman.
The Blues had the first chance after 12 second half minutes but Pinnock’s shot was charged down from close range: the Gate striker short of enough space to really get behind the ball and trouble the Sutton goal.
On 61 minutes, the game had its first corner. Sutton won it but were unable to capitalise on Alan Pouton’s cross from the right.
For long periods of the half, the game was played at pedestrian pace as both teams cancelled each other out as attacking forces.
Margate won their first corner – the game’s second - on 74 minutes, but like Sutton’s 13 minutes earlier, Gate were unable to take advantage. Three minutes later, the U’s won their second corner when Gargan’s shot from outside the area was deflected wide, but again they were unable to fashion an effort on goal.
With nine minutes to go, Margate exerted real pressure on the Sutton goal for the first – and only – time in the match. Lacey sent a long throw from the right into the Sutton area. Scriven flapped at the ball, an overhead kick came in from Margate from the loose ball, which was partially cleared from the six-yard box by the U’s defence. Sam Jones fired a shot in that was deflected back to another Margate player whose shot was sent wide of the post by Scriven’s save for Margate’s second corner of the game. Again, nothing came from the corner.
Margate did have the ball in the net from their next attack – but the referee brought play back for an infringement and free kick to Sutton.
With 83 minutes on the clock, Gargan demonstrated his potential when he picked up a ball from Charlie Taylor and hit a dipping volley from 22 yards just wide of Turner’s left post.
The remainder of the game was played out – like the majority of the 90 minutes – without too much drama to leave both sides with a point which looked to be just about the right result.
Margate: Turner, Lacey, Stubbs, Keister, Cooper, Young, Barnes (Blackman 48), Saunders, Huggins, Pinnock, Jones.
Subs not used: Krunic, Groombridge, Cliff, Grant.
Sutton United: Scriven, B.Hawes, J.Hawes, McKimm, Perkins, El-Salahi, Hann (Joseph 68), Pouton (Bray 68), Gargan, Woods-Garness (Taylor 43), Cobbs.
Subs not used: Shaw, Phillips.
Match commentary:
First Half
Second Half
Match reaction:
Iain OConnell
Leroy Huggins |
16 Mar 2010 by Steve Wells
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