MARGATE 50S 2 vs 3 CANTERBURY MARINERS WALKIN

Due to absence and injury, this was a slightly different side that we put out rather than the relatively stable side that had been seen in recent games but you would not have known that from watching us. The Margate pitch is much smaller than any other we have played on and the game was very compact with neither team really managing to get any players to have time on the ball. Both sides pressed easily and players were closed down almost as soon as the ball arrived at their feet.

We seemed to struggle at first and were guilty of panicking slightly and giving the ball away cheaply but we did eventually settle and started to play our usual quick passing game. Our movement and communication was good and Shaun, Jason and Andy B all came close. Rob and Paul J at the back defended as a pair rather than one and one purely as there wasn't enough room in front to do much else. We pushed to the half way line and held a high line throughout. Margate seemed to want to come through the middle at us and we stayed narrow forcing them to move the ball wide which they didn't seem comfortable with and often resulted in over hit or misplaced passes.

Jason was running our midfield and was picking the ball up before rolling their defender and making headway. Linden adn Andy B support on the flanks and with Shaun's constant movement, Margate were starting struggle to keep tabs on us. As the half progressed we were creating space and managing to carve out better chances.Jason and Shaun were both working their keeper, who was the busier of the two, but Paul B was still being called into action as Margate tried to counter-attack and hit us on the break.

With Half Time fast approaching Paul J played a ball through to Jason. He promptly took the pass on the half turn and rolled passed his opposite number, took a few paces forward and then sent a high shot passed their keeper. We had the lead.

Within a minute the whistle sounded and we went in at the break a goal to the good. Our conversation was to try and hold the ball for longer and to stop the slightly panicky balls through. We agreed that staying compact and keeping them wide was the best defence and for us to try and stretch them by holding our flanks in attack would give us opportunity to score again.

The second half started with Margate very keen to get back level. We absorbed their early pressure and were finding a better passing game which was getting us in behind them. The game was very end to end, predominantly due to the size of the pitch and most of the interplay was around shorter passes and looking to spin around players. Margate were trying one twos but Rob and Paul J continued to force them wide and any shots they did get away Paul B was equal to, with him pulling off several strong saves to keep us in the lead.

Our press and their desire to get back on terms eventually started to create space. A ball out from Paul J found Jason with room to pick his spot and his low hard shot flew passed their keeper and we had doubled our lead.

From looking completely comfortable, we soon found ourselves pegged back. A ball out was intercepted by Margate in midfield and the subsequent strike beat Paul B at full stretch and went in off the right hand post. Within minutes we again saw a clearance out deflect into the path of a Margate player who managed to curl his shot around another a person, leaving Paul B completely unsighted as the ball hit the net. In a 5 minute period Margate had gone from struggling to get anything too dangerous going in attack to being level at 2 all.

We regrouped. We regained our composure and our shape. We were still seeing plenty of possession and with Margate pushing for a winning, Shaun was finding more and more space up front. Our passing game was still causing them issues and they seemed to want to get tight to us to prevent us moving the ball. Jason still had the beating of his man and despite, being accused of backing in on occasion, he was still able to push us forward. A ball out to Shaun and then back to Jason found him in space and he didn't need a second invite to shoot. We were back in front and in control.

We now became very tight and compact and gave them very little room to play in through the middle. We were happy to keep possession and run the ball into corners and just manage the game to a successful conclusion. Margate were getting more and more frustrated but we held our discipline and the ball and they never really looked like scoring again.

At the final whistle, Margate 2 - 3 Canterbury.

The starting 7 were the team that finished the game and we gave everything throughout. We never stopped moving, tracking or calling and the pitch made things difficult but we did adapt well.

My special thanks to Shaun for stepping in at the eleventh hour and for never stopped moving and to Andy C who came to watch but ended up as an unused substitute.

For his special hattrick, the Player of the Match was Jason.

We finish this season a very respectable third, well clear of Woodchurch in fourth (depending on the outcome of the Sheppey matches and subsequent points allocation / reduction).

Paul