Yorath rues his side's bad luck

MARGATE went down by two goals to one against promotion chasing Staines Town on Saturday, but can count themselves unlucky not to have got at least a point from a stirring second half comeback, writes Steve Wells.

After going two goals down in the first half through strikes from Scott Taylor and Jon McDonald, following defensive lapses in Margate’s penalty area, the Thanet side reorganised with the introduction of three second half substitutions.

The difference to Margate’s attacking potential was marked and it was no surprise when Danny Stubbs reduced the arrears with 31 minutes of the match remaining.

The surprise was that in the end the Staines defence managed to hold back the Margate onslaught, illustrating the thin margins between success and disappointment.

Margate manager Terry Yorath gave new signing Joe Healey his debut up front alongside Mo Takaloo; Jacob Erskine - a loan signing from Dagenham & Redbridge - who started his first game at Hartsdown Park, alongside Dan Young in the middle of the defence; with former Heybridge Swifts player Reggie Savage on the bench.

By the end of the game, Margate’s player count for the season had risen to 32, reflecting the changes in personnel underway in Yorath’s reign as manager.

Most observers felt Margate deserved something from the game; but the defeat leaves the club just one place above the Ryman Premier League drop zone, with 18 points from 20 games.

“I didn’t think we deserved to be 2-0 down,” bemoaned Yorath, when speaking to www.margate-fc.com.

“We had chances to clear the ball and we didn’t - on both goals.”

The vastly experienced manager revealed he told the players exactly what he though during the half-time interval.

“So it was a chance at half-time to get stuck into the lads and trying to make them believe in themselves a little bit more. They’re a young team.”

“Second half, to be fair to them, credit to them, they came back into it and they had a go and really we should have come out of the game with a draw at least. But that’s the way it’s been going this season and we’ve just got to keep battling on.”

Yorath wants to bring more players to the club, but knows he must release men before new additions can arrive.

“I still need to bring in a couple of players and obviously we’re going to (need) to get rid of some as well to cover the budget,” he said.

“I’ve brought a centre forward in today who I think looks a good player, but we really need up front (to play with) him. He is a rough diamond; someone who is going to stick their head in, win a few headers and we can feed of that. At the moment we haven’t got one so that’s a problem to us.”

Yorath has challenged his side to get themselves out of the mire - just one goal separates Margate from a Harrow Borough side that are inside the relegation zone.

“Winning games gives you a hell of a lot of confidence,” said Yorath. “Losing games or if you like being inconsistent you end up bottom of the league.

“Unfortunately, that’s the position we’re in, but we’ve got to get out of it.

“I believe that if you look at the second half today, you’d turn around and say that team’s good enough to get out of the difficulties they’re in.”

Margate travel to Dartford in the second round of the Ryman League Cup on Tuesday night. Despite the Darts thumping Boreham Wood 3-0 at Princes Park, Tony Burman’s side are one place immediately above Margate in seventeenth place.

Article courtesy of www.margate-fc.com