Lee Reflects On Last Minute Call Up

Margate Manager Steve Watt was forced to change his starting eleven just 30 minutes before kick off against Worthing FC when goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley was ruled out of action due to illness.

Shot stopper Patrick Lee made the step up for The Gate and it was an occasion he enjoyed. Speaking after the game, Lee said: 

“I’m prepared as number two for those kind of situations as I’ve got to fill Lenny’s spot as and when. Pidge has a massive impact on the squad, so I’m prepared when I need to step up and it was exciting for me to start. I’ve missed playing every day so it was great to go on the pitch, I really enjoyed it.”

It was a challenging afternoon for Lee and his team-mates when influential left-back Tom Mills was dismissed after 40 minutes, leaving the hosts to play the majority of the game with 10 men.

Lee believes it’s a point Margate can be proud of.

“It was hard losing an influential player like Millsy at left-back. You don’t want to shake up your back four but we dealt with it and we came away with a good result.”

“As soon as the gaffer came into the dressing room, he said “Well done, boys. That was a hard-earned draw”. We would have liked to have got three points of course and it was disappointing to concede from a set piece.”

As the visitors enjoyed long spells of possession with the extra man in the second period, Lee made a number of smart saves to keep his side in the game, as a set piece proved the only means of breaking Margate’s defensive line down.

“I made two saves from open play - if that - maybe some rebounds off of free kicks and corners. With the way we defend and the quality we have, we get told to defend the six yard box and everyone knows if we let that slip, we’ll get caught out.”

“Not too many teams get opportunities like that against us. In open play, we kept compact and we didn’t let them play through the middle and if they did break through, we picked up the seconds.”

Margate’s young goalkeeper was pleased to play his part in the club’s play-off challenge and to be back playing in front of the Hartsdown crowd with his team.

“The boys are fantastic. I get my fair bit of stick as I’m the youngest in the squad but when it comes to them supporting me they’re great and the fans are brilliant.”

“Playing in front of a good crowd today was another great experience, I never take playing for this club for granted and I really enjoy it.”

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