AFC Wimbledon 1 Margate 2

Monday 13th February 2006

Margate continued their good run of recent form with this hard fought 2-1 victory over AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow on Saturday afternoon, writes Steve Wells www.margate-fc.com
That’s now three straight wins, four without defeat or just two defeats in 10 games. But this particular game was one you couldn’t take your eyes off of. The Dons opened brightly, but Margate took the lead on 15 minutes. Then Gate’s confidence rose and they took the game to the hosts until they equalised 11 minutes later. Wimbledon then held sway for most of the remainder of the half. But then Margate opened brightly in the second half and went ahead on 49 minutes. The home side then seemed to lose their way until the closing stages when they laid siege to the Margate area. But Gate hung on, despite going down the 10 men for the final few minutes.

On two minutes, the home side broke through; feeding the ball to Liam George, but his shot from the right side of the Margate penalty area was high and wide. Then shortly after, Dean Brennan won a corner off Robin Trott as the Dons came forward again. Although the kick was too deep, Bertie Brayley headed behind for a second corner but Wimbledon were unable to capitalise. Michael Woolner than had a shot, but his effort was high and wide of Darren Behcet’s goal.

Eight minutes had gone before Margate made decent progress into the Wimbledon defensive third. Brayley found a little bit of space just inside the Dons’ area but he failed to get enough on his attempted lob and Andy Little was able to gather the ball comfortably. But then Margate gave notice to the home side of what they were capable of. In a nice move, Ian Hilaire picked the ball up in midfield, he found Greg Oates who crossed for Danny Hockton who got his head to the ball, but unfortunately his effort was over the bar.

The home side responded with a great move of their own. After a run on the right, the ball was swung into the danger area where from a good position, new signing Martin Carthy got his head to the ball. He should have scored, but he didn’t and the ball dropped to another Wimbledon player and his effort was just wide of the far post.

The Dons came forward again with Rob Ursell, and Bill Edwards had to be on his game to intercept, and concede another corner. From the kick there was a desperate scramble in the six-yard box, Carthy managing to get one effort away before Behcet dropped on the ball to claim possession.

Around the quarter hour mark, Margate then enjoyed a good passage of play. Firstly, Edwards played a trade-mark long ball forward that Brayley flicked on to Hockton. The striker got the ball wide to Hilaire just outside the area but his shot cannoned off Dave Sargent and the Dons cleared. Margate then made steady progress down the left with a series of throw-ins. From one close to the corner flag, Dean Standen found Brayley. He did well to skip past a couple of defenders on his way to the bye-line before pulling the ball back with a delightful left foot cross that was met by Hockton – coming in from a deeper position – who powered home a header out of the reach of Little.

For the next few minutes, Margate were the major attacking force – the combination of Brayley and Hockton giving the home defence plenty to think about. But then, the Dons struck back. Woolner sent a nice ball into the Margate area where Butler sent a delightful lob over Behcet, with Carthy on hand to complete the job from close range.

After Margate’s initial response from the re-start saw Brayley shoot high and wide, it was the home side that rediscovered their confidence – just as Margate had after their goal. Wimbledon were awarded a free kick on the left of the Margate area. The kick was hit towards the far post, and with Anthony Howard just inches away from connecting with the ball, it flashed just past Behcet’s left post.

There did not look to be any particular danger as Brennan carried the ball along the edge of the Margate area, but suddenly he turned and sent a shot goal-ward that Behcet could only parry. Carthy looked to make the keeper pay for his mistake, but instead Behcet redeemed himself with a great block from close range. Then a Wimbledon free kick from the centre circle was lifted into the Margate area. Steve Butler rose unchallenged on the edge of the six-yard box but his header was straight at Behcet who made a regulation catch.

With 33 minutes on the clock, Yiga’s cross looking for Hockton was cut out and cleared by the defence. But the clearance only went as far as Edwards, in the centre circle. He came forward and from 35 yards unleashed a dipping shot that would not come down soon enough and it flew two feet over the bar, watched by keeper Little. Five minutes before the break, Oates crossed the ball to Hockton again but his header from 12 yards lacked enough power to unduly trouble Little.

A minute later, Hockton should have re-instated Margate’s lead. Brayley did well in releasing Hockton on the left. The Margate striker powered clear of the defenders and ran into the area with just the keeper to beat. From 10 yards, Hockton chose the curl the ball around the keeper and into the far corner, but Little did just enough to get his fingers to the ball and turn it round his left post at the expense of a corner. Little was again called into action from the kick, coming smartly off his line to punch clear.

Margate had a dream start to the second half when with just four minutes gone, Brayley collected a long clearance and knocked the ball over for Hockton who, turned and from distance fired in a shot that had Little well beaten. With his second goal today, Hockton became the fourth player this season to score twice in the same game for Margate.

Once again, the goal had re-filled Margate’s confidence tank, and they went in search of more goals. Some nice inter-play between Brayley and Hockton allowed Brayley to move past a defender. He then put the ball onto his left foot and almost wrong-footed Little as the Wimbledon keeper had to adjust his position quickly, dropping to his right to make the save. Then on 63 minutes, Brayley – much like Brennan in the first half – looked to be going nowhere when suddenly from the edge of the area, he fired goal-wards. His shot lacked real power, but Little had to quickly adjust his position again, in order to complete the save.

Wimbledon started to put some good moves together as they went in search of an equaliser. But, their play lacked the required quality in the final delivery; an issue that would arguably go on to cost the Dons a share of the points. Also of significance, was Richard Butler’s replacement by Dwayne Plummer. Whilst Plummer looked capable of causing problems from midfield, without Butler, the Don’s cutting edge up front was conspicuous by its absence.

The home side were awarded a free kick just feet outside the Margate area but Brennan’s strike went straight into the defensive wall and was deflected out for a corner. From the well taken corner Steve Butler powered in a header from eight yards that Behcet was equal to – blocking the ball on his line. Margate were unable to clear the ball fully, and as another cross came in, another corner was conceded. This time, Trott headed clear, but only as far as a Wimbledon player in a wide position, however his cross was woeful and Gate were able to finally clear with a goal kick.

Behcet was starting to see more of the ball in the Margate goal as the home side pressurised the visitor’s box. Brennan fired in a rasping cross-come-shot that the Margate keeper did well to pluck out of the air, after a melee on the right of Gate’s area as players fought desperately to secure possession. The Dons had another free kick on 79 minutes from which the ball broke for Carthy, but he volleyed just wide from eight yards.

As the game moved towards a conclusion, it became a question of what will come first, the referee’s whistle or a Wimbledon goal. Rob Ursell created the ideal opportunity for Carthy, but the Don’s new signing couldn’t put his header from six yards beyond Behcet’s reach, as the young Margate keeper saved brilliantly. Behcet then failed to clear a subsequent ball in, leaving Edwards exposed as a Wimbledon player took possession and looked to bare down on goal. Margate’s longest serving player reacted by bringing down the Wimbledon man, and as the last man received a straight red card.

With the man advantage, the Dons desperately sought an equaliser but their crossing remained inaccurate – frustrating for the home fans given the number of good positions hey found themselves in as the clock would down. Even so, there was still time for the home side to hit the angle of bar and post from just inside the right edge of the Margate area, but it was a case of too little, too late for the home side as they went down to just their second home defeat of the season.

After the game, manager Chris Kinnear expressed his delight at the result and pleasure at the progress the side are now making. He confirmed that a lot of hard work had gone into securing the singings of the likes of Danny Hockton, Robin Trott and Bertie Brayley and of the preparation for games. But he also confirmed that more hard work remained, and that could mean more new signings.

AFC Wimbledon: Little, Woolner, Sargent, Gell, S.Butler, Howard, Ursell, Carthy, R.Butler (Plummer), George, Brennan.
Subs: Finnie, Wheeler, King, Harvey.

Margate: Behcet, Oates, Hilaire, Edwards, Trott, Donovan, Yiga, Gradley (Keister), Brayley (Demoah), Hockton, Standen (Allman).
Subs: Sesay, Ziepe.