Westfield 4-2 Margate - We recognise we need to get winning as soon as possible but we're confident with what we've got and we're confident that things will improve, insists deflated Margate assistant manager Adam Flanagan

Westfield 4 – 2 Margate
Location	Woking Park, off Elmbridge Lane, Kingfield Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 9BA
Kickoff	06/09/2025 15:00

WESTFIELD  4-2  MARGATE
The Isuzu FA Trophy First Qualifying Round
Saturday 6 September 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Woking Park

DEFLATED MARGATE assistant manager Adam Flanagan says he wants his side to improve after being dumped out of The FA Trophy in the First Qualifying Round for the first time since 2018.

 

Ben Greenhalgh’s men put in a lacklustre, slow-paced performance and lacked desire in sun-kissed (22 degrees) Woking, as Andrew Crossley’s side booked their place in the Second Qualifying Round for the third successive season.

Clinical Westfield raced into a 3-0 lead at the break, courtesy of finishes from right-back Manolis Gogonas, wideman Kiye Martin and substitute striker Aderi Dede, as Margate’s centre-halves Lewis Knight and Harry Hudson went missing.

Kieron Agbebi, 20, came off the subs bench at the break and headed in his first goal for Margate just 73 seconds into the second half, before fellow substitute Kane Haysman notched his third goal of the season with a clinical strike with six minutes remaining.

But with Margate pushing men forward in search for a dramatic late equaliser to take it to penalties, they were hit on the counter-attack and substitute striker Devonte Webster Swack was given the freedom of Woking Park to score his second goal of the season deep into stoppage time.

“Disappointing afternoon. I don’t think we showcased the attributes we’ve got as a team.  While we huffed and puffed second half, I felt the damage was done in the first half really,” admitted Flanagan, who was then asked what was missing from his side.

“I think without sounding too brutal, just basic defending!  When you look at the three goals, I feel like all their goals that we’re more on us defending poorly than the attacking team doing anything amazing to be fair.

“I thought two of the goals, the second and the third goals, was very basic defending. We should’ve been able to deal with and the first goal, whilst it’s a great goal for their lad, I think when you’re on the opposite end of that, you look at all of the phases in terms of him getting through one-on-one with the goalkeeper and scoring.

“I think Westfield looked very well-organised, defensively they were solid. I felt they had willing runners up top. I thought their left-winger was very composed and was dangerous when he was on the ball.  I think they deserved their win.  If we’re going to defend the way we did but I felt a lot of their success today came from our mistakes.”

Westfield went into this tie sitting in 13^th place in the Isthmian League South Central Division, having picked up six points from four games, while Margate are under-performing in the bottom six of the Isthmian League South East Division, having picked up three draws from their opening four league outings.

Margate won 2-0 at Egham Town in the Preliminary Round last month but have now been knocked out of The FA Cup (by lower-league Cobham 1-0 at home after a 2-2 draw), FA Trophy, Velocity Cup (by Sheppey United) and are left in just one cup competition in early September.

Westfield created their first opening (9:34) when holding midfielder Michael O’Connor drove forward and knocked the ball on for left-winger Nathan Rogers (who was later withdrawn with a knee injury) who ran straight down the middle of the pitch and was denied by recalled goalkeeper Tom Wray coming off his line and making a block with his legs.

Margate were playing direct and were over-reliant on set-pieces, dominating the corner count by 10-1, all being taken by player-manager Greenhlagh, who played behind the towering front two of four-goal Ibrahim Olutade and Tom Derry.

Greenhalgh floated in his first corner from the left and an unmarked Derry knocked his header towards goal, which deflected past the far post as Samuel Blackman jumped up with his marker at the back post.

Westfield opened the scoring with 13 minutes and 47 seconds on the clock, with a 50-yard solo run and composed finish from right-back Gogonas.

He received the ball from goalkeeper Lewis Gallifent and travelled over the half-way line, cut past a static Margate defence, and Knight and Hudson opened the gate for the Greece born 29-year-old to score with a right-footed finish into the centre of the goal from 16-yards.

“As per your assessment, I think that hit the nail on the head really, picked the ball up from their goalkeeper and just drove through our team, through the middle of the team really and finished well to be fair to him,” said Flanagan.

Greenhalgh’s fourth corner came in from the right and Gallifent punched the ball away at the near post and the ball fell to Margate’s holding midfielder Max Walsh, who cracked a left-footed volley sailing harmlessly high-and-wide as Margate offered very little in attack.

Westfield central midfielder John Adebiyi pushed Derry from behind and Greenhalgh stroked a left-footed free-kick towards goal from 35-yards, which was comfortably caught by an untroubled Gallifent, stepping to his left.

Margate goalkeeper Wray went route one by drilling a deep free-kick straight down the middle and Gallifent stayed on his line.  Olutade knocked the ball down from inside the box but Haysman sliced his right-footed drive harmlessly wide of the right-hand post in the 27^th minute.

Margate produced a well-worked move on the half-hour mark when Brandon Davey (who was losing the midfield battle) poked the ball in behind Gogonas to feed left-back Kai Garande in behind and he whipped in a cross from within the channel towards the back post where Derry rose above Westfield left-back Billy Nutbeam and his header from six-yards was comfortably plucked out of the air by Gallifent, to prevent the ball sailing into the top right-hand corner.

“A good ball in from Kai. Tom was aggressive, attacked it well but relatively easy take from their keeper at the end,” said Flanagan, who was asked what 30-year-old Derry brings to the party.

“I think he’s a physical presence for us, I think aerially. He helps us start phases of play. I think he’s got that experience of being a Step Three player and I think we’re still to get the best out of him is what I will say at the moment but he’s a very, very experienced forward. I’m sure he will come good for us.”

Knight and Hudson went missing as Westfield doubled their lead with 31 minutes and 6 seconds on the clock.

Nutbeam played the ball down the line and Knight jogged across to close down Dede down the left touchline and his low cross found the unmarked Martin in the middle, who swept a first time left-footed low shot into the left-hand corner from 16-yards.

Flanagan said: “Very, very similar, very, very simple  goal that we conceded there and yes I don’t really know what more to say on that.  Like I said earlier about the three goals we conceded, very, very poor defending on our part.”

Westfield’s player-manager Crossley produced a quality delivery which was met by a diving header from centre-half Dylan Merchant, which cleared the crossbar, before Margate were facing a mountain to climb when the hosts scored their third goal four minutes and 38 seconds into stoppage time, courtesy of a three-man move.

Merchant clipped the ball out of defence to O’Connor inside the centre-circle and he played the ball along the deck in between Knight and Hudson to put central striker Dede (who was a ninth minute replacement for five-goal striker Finn Evans who suffered from concussion), who kept composed to skip past the advancing Wray before sweeping his left-footed shot into the empty goal.

Flanagan, a centre-back during his playing days for Folkestone Invicta and Dartford, chewed the fat over Westfield’s third goal.

“I think it was a ball over the top. I think it was one of those balls that falls in between the centre-half and the keeper and I think what needs to happen in those scenarios, one of them needs to take complete ownership of it and I think it felt to me that it fell in between both of them, neither of them took total control and it gave the forward an opportunity to be brave and he put his foot in and as soon as he got a touch on it, it was always going to be a goal, so very, very disappointing goal.”

It lead to some stern words during the half-time interval from Margate’s management team.

“Ben said what he said, I said what I said. I think it was more home truths really, just about how disappointing the goals were really,” said Flanagan.

“There were moments in our play, I thought attacking wise when we weren’t too bad but I felt we needed to freshen it up a little bit so we made the subs.  I thought the subs were effective.

“Kieron after scoring, looked like he tweaked his hamstring, which was disappointing because I feel like he was growing into the game a little bit but we huffed and puffed second half, pulled it back to 3-2 but just weren’t able to push for that equaliser because with a minute or two to go, they end up getting a fourth.”

When asked about Blackman’s enforced 21^st minute substitution, Flanagan revealed: “Sam’s been struggling with a calf injury. I think he felt it before the game a little bit, so as a precaution he came off.”

Greenhalgh and Flanagan hooked Walsh and Derry at the interval and brought on striker Agbebi and winger Tushaun-Tyresse Walters and it took Agbebi just 73 seconds to score with his first touch.

Greenhalgh rolled the ball out to Garande on the left and he produced a quality cross from within the left-channel towards the far post for Agbebi to jump to power his header into the right-hand corner from a yard.

“It was the perfect start that we needed, what we asked for from the players,” said Flanagan.

“Kai put a great ball in and then Kieron was brave at the far post to head it in.”

Margate increased their desire levels and came out with all guns blazing, with Garande putting in another cross from the left towards the back post for the unmarked Greenhalgh to drill a right-footed half-volley over the top of the near-post (2:34).

Nutbeam and Crossley linked up down the left and Nutbeam reached the by-line and his cross deflected off Knight and Wray reacted and used two-hands to push the ball onto the top of his crossbar and behind for the home side’s only corner of the game (8:59).

“Good movement. Knighty made a block and Tom did what Tom should do and pushed it behind for a corner,” added Flanagan.

However, Margate’s momentum was killed when Agbebi tweaked his right hamstring as he ran towards the right-channel and his appearance only lasted 12 minutes.

Walters played in Garande, whose left-footed shot was smothered by the advancing Gallifent, who narrowed the angle and made a big save in his midriff.

“Kai started the half really well, would’ve been nice to have scored them but it would’ve added a bit more pressure onto them,” said Flanagan.

Davey rolled the ball back towards his goalkeeper Wray, who called ‘set’ before hitting a poor clearance straight to the impressive Dede, who clipped the crossbar with a left-footed shot from 20-yards, inside the final 20 minutes.

Flanagan said: “It was difficult for keepers. I think to a degree on that (bobbly, grass) pitch to strike it first time but the ball came back to Tom and he has to assess when the ball’s coming back to take a touch or not. At that time he analysed and felt he needed to kick it first time, which is what he did. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch it as well as he liked and their kid pounced on it and fortunately for us, it hit the bar.”

However, Margate grabbed a second goal in the 84^th minute when Hudson drilled a long ball forward towards a crowd of players in and around the Westfield penalty area, Olutade knocked the ball down for Haysman, who clinically drilled his right-footed half-volley across the beaten goalkeeper to find the bottom right-hand corner from 16-yards.

“A good finish by Kane. He’s done very well for us in the games that he’s come in so far and got himself a few goals,” said Flanagan.

“In that kind of scenarios with the ball dropping in to the box, gave us a real chance. I think the momentum was with us at that time. It was whether we were going to be able to muster anything in the remaining minutes of the game.”

Westfield slowed the game down and headed for the corner flag as the tie reached stoppage time.  Margate threw bodies forward in search of a dramatic late equaliser to take it to penalties and they were hit on the counter-attack, as Westfield killed the game off with a fourth goal, three minutes and 53 seconds into stoppage time.

Margate had pushed nine players further upfield when the home side released Dede down the right channel and he put it on a plate for the unmarked Webster Swack, who took a touch before finding the bottom left-hand corner from 12-yards.

“It was our throw and we put bodies forward to see if we could muster an opportunity and unfortunately we didn’t and we had to be brave and try to get something from the game,” added Flanagan.

“In that moment our focus was on trying to get a goal so we could draw and take it to penalties and unfortunately it didn’t materialise the way we would’ve liked and they counter and the guy had a free opportunity and scored.”

There was still time for Gallifent to make a superb double save to thwart Greenhalgh and Haysman, who certainly impressed when he came on for central midfielder Blackman in the 21st minute.

When asked about the mood inside the away dressing room at the final whistle, Flanagan revealed: “Deflated. I think we’re all deflated. I think we recognised that we need to be better as a group and I think we recognised that the goals we conceded were errors on our behalf and that needs to be address and corrected as soon as possible.”

Ben Smith’s Ramsgate host Margate in the Kent Senior Cup First Round on Tuesday night, sitting fourth-from-bottom in the Isthmian League Premier Division on five points from their opening six games.

Smith’s men came away from Billericay Town with a 2-2 league draw today, two-goals up through Alfie Paxman and Mitchell May, before ex-Ram Joe Taylor pulled a goal back for the Essex outfit.

Marage will have to show more desire than they showed in large parts of their FA Trophy exit today during the Thanet showdown.

“It shouldn’t need any incentivising. It means a lot to the fans, it means a lot to the club and it means a lot to us as players and the management team,” insisted Flanagan.

“In some ways you can look at it and go we’re playing a Step Three sides at a time when maybe we’re a little bit down, feeling sorry for ourselves but look at it as being a great game for us to bounce back in.

“It’s against a team that are in a higher division than us. I think the players should feel deflated and disappointed from today but they should from tomorrow be focused on that game on Tuesday and be really excited for that and we as a team, we need to see a performance, an upturn in performance from everyone and I’m sure for that game we will.

“In terms of being a Cup game, we don’t want to be out of all of the Cups in September, so that is a focus.  The Kent Cup is the only one we’re left in and it’s a Cup the club have won previously.”

There were no Isthmian League South East Division games today but Margate find themselves seven points adrift of newly-promoted leaders Faversham Town and have Beckenham Town (three points from five games), Deal Town (three from four), Ashford United (two from four), Erith Town (one from four) and East Grinstead Town (lost all five games) beneath them in the pecking order.

“I would like to asses the four games at the minute, I would say it’s need for improvement really,” admitted Flanagan.

“I think on paper you can look at the teams and say some of them are difficult fixtures but I think if we’re being honest and we are honest as a management team and as a group of players we feel that our points return should be higher than where it is at the moment and we need to address that as soon as possible.

“We’ve got some very tough games coming up against teams that have done better than us at the start of the season and ultimately we need to get winning.

“Last year our season started off scoring a 90^th minute winner against Deal and we need that moment again and I’m sure once we can win a game of football, I think our nerves as a team will settle a little bit and then we’ll kick on from there.”

When asked whether they can bring in fresh blood to Hartsdown Park, Flanagan replied: “I think we’re always looking to see what’s available in the market, certainly with us not winning games.

“I think we need to address that quickly, whether that’s giving the current squad a bit more time or is that bringing in new faces. It’s not just about bringing new faces in.  As a management team and the group of players will become better through periods of difficulty. I think that is the sense of how you become a good manager, how you become a good player, so I think on that respect we’ll see how it goes.

“But we’ll be mindful, if we are bringing anyone in, they have to be the right character.  They’ll need to have the right attributes that we’re looking for. We won’t just go panic sign any players. They have to be someone who we liked last season, who are playing at other clubs, or someone that we’re aware of and feel they can offer an improvement on what we’ve got.”

Flanagan insists there is no pressure from the club with regards to their slow start to the new season and being dumped out of both FA competitions by Cobham and Westfield.

“Pressure? I don’t think so. Even if there is, it wouldn’t be as much as the pressure we put on ourselves because we had a real positive season last year.  We want to have another real positive season this year,” said Flanagan.

“We set standards quite high and we don’t want them to drop, so I think I’m not aware of the club putting any pressure on but like I say on that front, I don’t think it needs to because we make ourselves accountable for everything and we want to be doming a lot better ourselves. It doesn’t need anyone to tell us that to be honest.”

Meanwhile, Margate have been away for seven of their nine league and cup games so far this season and welcome newly-promoted side VCD Athletic to Hartsdown Park next Saturday.

“I don’t think the amount of away games has helped a little bit, not as that is an excuse but there has been a lot of travelling for us on that front. I think if we would’ve maybe had a mixture of home games in between maybe, maybe.

“It is tiring, it’s draining when you’re not in front of your home fans and your home ground. Maybe it’s playing a little part in it but that can’t be an excuse.

“We are only four (league) games in so we recognise we need to get winning as soon as possible but we’re confident with what we’ve got and we’re confident that things will improve.”

Westfield: Lewis Gallifent, Manolis Gogonas, Billy Nutbeam, Michael O’Connor, Dylan Merchant, Nicolas Bostan, Nathan Rogers (Mason Welch-Turner 65), John Adebiyi (Devonte Webster Swack 84), Finn Evans (Aderi Dede 9), Andrew Crossley (Quincy Patterson 65), Kiye Martin (Sekou Toure 62).

Goals: Manolis Gogonas 14, Kiye Martin 32, Aderi Dede 45, Devonte Webster Swack 90

Booked: Billy Nutbeam 29, Sekou Toure 73

Margate: Tom Wray, Harrison Hatfull, Kai Garande, Max Walsh (Tushaun-Tyresse Walters 46), Lewis Knight, Harry Hudson, Brandon Davey, Samuel Blackman (Kane Haysman 21), Ibrahim Olutade, Tom Derry (Kieron Agbebi 46, Blu Husthwaite 58)), Ben Greenhalgh.
Sub: Reece Hobbs

Goals: Kieron Agbebi 47, Kane Haysman 84

Booked: Brandon Davey 40

Attendance: 134
Referee: Mr Jacob Wright
Assistants: Mr Macauley Antell & Mr Stephen Saunders