Sat 7 Sep: Margate hit us for five

Isuzu FA Trophy

Hanworth Villa 0

Margate 5

Ben Greenhalgh (13′)
Ibrahim Olutade (63′ pen)
Ben Greenhalgh (77′)
Jordon Ababio (82′)
Ben Greenhalgh (89′)

Match report

After the heroic efforts of our team against Walton & Hersham (twice) earlier this week it was time for the Villa young guns to take to the pitch in this Isuzu FA Cup tie

Villa put out possibly the youngest team we’ve seen in recent years down here at Rectory Meadow, featuring four under 18s, one under 20, three under 22s and one under 23. A great opportunity for these and the fringe players to get some experience and to show what they can do.

Kick off

The game went – probably as expected – with the more experienced Margate team setting the tempo of the game and creating the first clear cut chance through Olutade in the third minute. His rising shot way over the crossbar.

It didn’t take long though for the visitors to make the breakthrough as Greenhaigh struck from the edge of the box beating Conrad Knight at his far post

Goal: Greenhaigh 13’ – Villa 0 : 1 Margate

Margate continued in much the same vein after the goal, retaining possession well but without creating too many clear cut chances. Villa’s players came up against a resilient Margate in the final third where we struggled to get the killer pass or the lay off that could have broken the visitor’s back line. A lot of huff and puff but not enough to blow that particular house down.

28’ Djouadj booked for a foul just outside the box giving a free kick to Margate. The shot goes wide but the referee spots a deflection and gives a corner which is sent to the back post but safely into the hands of Knight. Margate piling on the pressure now and more corners follow.

35’ Villa win a corner which is cleared down field and O’Neil tracking back clips the heels of the attacker just inside our half and gets a yellow for his effort in preventing a Margate run on goal.

39’ On the far side there was a foul on a Margate player but before the ref could blow up there was a nasty retaliatory foul by Craig which left Patterson on the floor. The ball went out of play and was kicked back in from someone on the Villa bench which earned him an instant red card from the referee.

43’ Throughout the first half the ref was letting the game flow freely but

Following hot on the heels of the recent incidents he was soon to brandish another yellow as Quincy Patterson was adjudged to have tripped an opponent on the edge of the box. Didn’t seem to warrant a card but the ref disagreed. The free kick was well defended by Villa and the ball was launched forward.

45’ In the dying moments of the half Dylan Randall tracked back a full sixty yards to nick the ball off an attacker on the edge of the box. This exemplified the effort put in by Villa in the first half and his performance throughout the game certainly put him in the running for player of the match for Villa.

Half time

Substitution for Villa at half time as the more experienced Theo Crawford entered the fray replacing Theo Curtis who’d done well in the first half.

46’ Villa came out of the blocks the fastest as the half began, spreading the ball around well but it was the visitors who teased out the first save of the half.

57’ Villa certainly more on it in the second half. Patterson and O’Neil combining to get the ball out to Mansaray on the wing who lays it on to Mead who strikes from the edge of the box but too close to the keeper.

59’ Olutade makes a great run picking up the ball on the left of our box, weaving his way across the D to unleash a shot that lacks curl which ends up right of the far post.

61’ There’s often a single incident during a game that can help determine the final outcome. With Villa getting back into the game and on the attack Quincy Patterson found himself the victim of a good old fashioned sandwich as he threatened to burst into the opponent’s half. He was sent to the ground and like all of us looked to the referee to stop the game and take action against the offending players. As it happened – and quite coincidentally – one of the players was on a yellow and would have had to be sent off were the referee to rule against him. Instead the ref gestured from Patterson to get up and waved play on.

In the resulting passage of play Margate ran into the box where they drew a mistimed tackle and were awarded a penalty. And while it probably was a penalty, the play should have been stopped before hand. LIke I say, single incidents can change the flow and outcome of a game.

61’ Olutade steps up and emphatically scores, sending the ball high into the left of the goal.

Goal: Olutade 61’ – Villa 0 : 2 Margate

71’ Millo goes on a chase into the Margate area and is taken out by the keeper claiming the ball. He’s instantly substituted and on comes Alfie Mewes for his first team debut.#

77’ A Greenlaigh strike from out of nowhere goes through a congested penalty box into the back of the net. Something of a sucker punch.

Goal: Greenlaigh 77 ’ – Villa 0 : 3 Margate

79’ Villa never say die and late on in the game we had our best move of the match. Nunn delivered a great pass to Patterson, who then sent over a sweet cross field pass into the run of Randall who just leant back too much and fired over the bar.

82’ Margate scored their fourth as substitute Garande fired in an effort past the despairing keeper Knight. Nothing the keeper could have done about that one.

Goal: Garande 82 ’ – Villa 0 : 4 Margate

89’ Villa conceded a fifth in the final minute. The Margate number 9 got up for a header and fired the ball goalwards from 6 yards out. The quick reactions of our keeper saw it palmer away from goal. Unfortunately Greenhaigh reacted quicker than our defence and tucked the ball home for his hat trick

Goal: Greenlaigh 89’ – Villa 0 : 5 Margate

Final whistle

FIve nil to the visitors. A disappointing result but a good performance from our young team against a physical and competitive Margate side. Sad once again to see a game turn on a refereeing decision but Margate were the better team on the day and deserved their win.