'Gate March On With Thurrock Victory

Margate rose to 4th in the Bostik Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Thurrock at Hartsdown Park.

Manager Steve Watt made two changes from Saturdays 3-2 win over Tooting & Mitcham with Captain James Rogers returning to the side in place of Lee Prescott as well as on-loan Gillingham winger Aaron Simpson making his Margate debut in place for Dave Martin.

Both sides started attentively with neither keeper having to do much in the opening stages at a wet and blustery Hartsdown Park until it was the Blues in form striker Jordan Chiedozie who slammed a goalwards bound effort straight into a resolute Thurrock defender.

It was the former Concord Rangers striker that again looked likely to open the scoring but Aaron Simpsons cross got stuck under his feet meaning he could only prod wide.

The ‘Gate continued to press and could have gone ahead minutes later as Simpson nodded down a Jack Evans cross but it was behind the on-rushing Margate attackers and Thurrock cleared again as the game approached half-time.

The deadlock was broken three minutes from the break as Chiedozie unleashed a powerful effort from the right of the box which slammed into the far left corner leaving Ben McNamara no chance to put the Blues ahead 1-0.

Margate started the second half very much as they finished the first with chances being created and they would have counted themselves very unlucky as the assistant referee denied them two goals for off sides both from corners.

The first saw Kane Haysman head home but it was adjudged that Chiedozie was offside as he was stood in the line of the goalkeeper before exactly the same decision was given six minutes later this time from a bullet Ben Swift header.

As the corner count crept up it was only Margate who looked like grabbing a second and they did exactly that as an initial header was saved by McNamara before Chiedozie steadied himself and headed home the rebound to make it 2-0.

The victory for Margate leaves them 4th in the Bostik Premier League and now unbeaten in six games.

MARGATE: Pidgeley, Evans (Bodkin 85’), Wynter, Rogers, Friend, Swift, Haysman, Blackman (Prescott 76’), Chiedozie (May 80’), Collin, Simpson

Subs Not Used: Lee, Martin

Attendance: 334

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