Potters Bar Town (H) - 2nd April 2022

Margate welcome Potters Bar Town to Hartsdown Park on Saturday afternoon in the Isthmian Premier Division, looking to put back to back defeats in the league behind them.

A 4-1 defeat at Bognor Regis Town was followed up on Tuesday by a 2-0 defeat at Lewes, as the Blues only have one win in their previous five league games.

Manager Jay Saunders is hoping to be able to call upon his first choice centre-half partnership of Ben Swift and Lewis Knight, which was again disrupted again on Tuesday evening, with Knight falling ill.

Potters Bar head to Hartsdown Park in somewhat resurgent form since the appointment of new Manager Sammy Moore in February. Despite their recent upturn in results, the ‘Scholars’ head to Kent having suffered a 1-0 defeat at relegation threatened East Thurrock on Tuesday evening.

In a somewhat bizarre situation, these two sides only met for the first time this season two weeks ago as Moore’s side ran out 2-0 winners. The last time these two side met at Hartsdown Park was November 2019 when the two sides shared a 2-2 draw, with Margate goals being scored by Noel Leighton and Elliot Reeves.

Margate will host a fun day to celebrate its 125 year anniversary, therefore the turnstiles will open at 12:30pm with free activities taking place before the game, and also a half-time crossbar challenge.

Kick-off at Hartsdown Park is 3pm, but as always if you can’t join us then you can stay right up to date on our official Twitter feed @margate_fc from 2:30pm.

'Scholars' School Margate

Margate suffered a third straight defeat in the Isthmian Premier Division on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 by Potters Bar at Hartsdown Park.

Lewis Knight and Joe Anderson made welcome returns to the Blues back-line, however injury to Louis Collins meant there was no place for him in the starting eleven, as well as Sam Blackman.

Margate started the game relatively well with Fyn Rutherford and James Bessey-Saldanha linking up well, before the latter stroked his effort over the bar.

Potters Bar included former ‘Gate striker Norman Wabo in their starting eleven, and it was his threaded ball through to Joe Boachie who created the visitors first chance, only for Ben Bridle-Card to snuff the opportunity out.

In a distressing moment of the first half, Wabo was about to pull the trigger on a shot, however crumbled to the floor requiring immediate attention, followed by the stretcher as the first half come to a subdued ending.

Margate had to withdraw Knight at half-time as he continued to recover from an illness, whilst a tactical move saw Jay Saunders introduce Vance Bola in the place of Ken Feyi.

One of Margate’s latest recruits almost gave the Blues the lead on the hour mark as Afolabi Soyemi-Olalade pounced on a Swift header, only to see his header cleared off the line.

Potters Bar took the lead in the final twenty minutes as a high cross, which appeared to be held up in the Hartsdown Park wind fell to Boachie at the far post unmarked to head the ‘Scholars’ in front.

In a somewhat frustrating afternoon for the ‘Gate, they were unable to create a clear opportunity to equalise, and it looked for more likely that the visitors would increase their lead as Boachie ran through, only for Bridle-Card again to deny the opportunity.

MARGATE: Bridle-Card, Hatfull, Anderson Soyemi-Ololade 57’), Agyemang, Knight (Lema 46’), Swift, Bessey-Saldanha, Vaivada, Feyi (Bola 46’), Rutherford, Greenhalgh

Subs not used: Colmer, Lamb

Margate Man of the Match

Harrison Hatfull

Attendance

440