Report
One goal was the difference between these two well matched sides, one goal that sent the Stags out of the FA Cup. Although playing a team two divisions above themselves the Stags played their normal football and would not have been out of place if they were with Margate in the Conference South.
The majority of the chances that fell to the Stags came in the first half when Margate showed them a great deal of respect and were very tentative in looking for a goal. Both sides spent the early part of the game testing each other out but the first real chance fell to the Stags on 21 minutes with what was the best move of the match up to that point.
Papa Kanyuka went on a run down the inside right channel and cut the ball back to Carl Ashton who move the ball out again to Sol Henry, he immediately sent it back to Ashton whose deft pass to Kanyuka just failed to set op the onrushing Forest striker.
Four minutes later Margate’s John Keister, along with the Margate faithful, thought he had the ball in the back of the net when he lobbed the ball over Gavin King in the Stags’ goal. All thought the ball was over the line but Dave Bastian somehow hooked the ball away. The clearance fell to Pat Gradley with the visitors’ defence still not regrouped. Sadly for him, his shot was an awful one and he hit the post from six yards.
The Stags were not dismayed and forced the game into the Margate half winning a number of corners and free kicks which all sent the danger signal to the home side. On one occasion the Stags could have scored when Yiotis Panayiotou came in on a Walker free kick from the left of the Margate’s penalty box but his touch just needed that little more power to get past Trego in the home goal who made a good save. Then, a moment later Henry shot inches wide from almost the same position.
Then it was Clarke’s turn to go close after some good work by Kanyuka and Walker had set him free on the left but he too shot just wide. The half finished with both sides on equal terms but Forest having had the better of the play.
Stern words must have been said in the Margate dressing room at half time because they came out with a more determined attitude for the second half which quickly translated itself intro goals.
On the 47th minute an almost solo effort by Kiester brought Margate the first goal. From a long punt upfield, Rocky Baptiste (who for most of the game was inconspicuous) held the ball up on the edge of the Stags’ penalty area and passes to Kiester who, once in the penalty area had defenders backing off him as he moved in. He took the ball to his left past two defenders and slotted neatly home to the right of King.
Margate’s celebrations were short lived: two minutes later Kanyuku marauding down the right, cut the ball back for Walker who scored with the same kind of shot from the same position as that which had just gone in at the other end.
Margate began to get more of the possession but were not that good at a final product with a few shots blasted well over the Stags’ crossbar. The pressure finally told in the 69th minute when Kleister’s pass to Moses Jjunju for him to shoot and King to block. The ball fell unkindly for the visitors when it bounced back to Jjunju who shot home.
Forest were by no means out of it and tried for the equaliser right up to the last minute when Margate can think themselves very lucky indeed after substitute Paul Armand shot wide from five yards in trying to drive the ball past a sea of legs into the goal.
The Stags can be very proud of what they did at Margate, in the knowledge that they played the kind of football that will get them into the promotion places in the Southern League.