Cray Wanderers’ final game of 2021 saw Margate run out winners in an entertaining Kent derby and a sixth home league defeat of the season.
Cray made a lively start and were worth the lead given them by Kyel Reid’s fizzing strike in the 10th minute and came close to adding to the lead before the half hour. Margate though got back into it in the 37th minute with Martial Godo reacting quick to a deflected clearance off a defender to go through, round Bailey Vose and roll the ball into the net.
The Wands lost captain Dean Beckwith to a groin injury at half time and in the second half Margate played well and Vose had already made a fine save to deny Lewis Knight when they went ahead when Crossley Lema smashed home a near post shot in the 52nd minute. Margate could have been further ahead but for two saves from Vose to deny Godo a second goal which was tipped onto the underside of the bar and also from Montel Agyemang.
Cray though got back into it with a goal out of nothing in the 74th minute when Chris Dickson received the ball just on the edge of the area and his lofted shot possibly looped off Ben Swift towards the top left corner and keeper Ben Bridle-Card couldn’t prevent the ball from going into the net. However, three minutes later Margate went back in front when a left wing corner was flicked goalwards and pushed out well by Vose but fell to Knight at the far post to head in to the net.
Both sides were looking to bounce back from home defeats in their last game where both were hit with absences with Covid or injuries. Cray saw those that missed the Dartford game return to the starting lineup with Freddy Barton, Ethan Kaiser, Chris Dickson, Anthony Cook and Tom Hanfrey available and Cameron Brodie returned after having to miss the game against his parent club ahead of Kasim Aidoo, Marvin McCoy, Andy Drury, Jamie Yila, Fjord Rogers and Sam Skeffington who has returned to Bromley. Jay Saunders Margate side were beaten by Wingate & Finchley last time out and into the side came Ben Bridle-Card in goal, Crossley Lema and Lewis Knight for Daniel Colmer, Ryan Palmer and Alex Johnson.
The game began in lively fashion with some good passing from both teams but no real chances created until the 10th minute when the Danny Kedwell’s side took the lead. Cray won a free kick down the left and Tom Hanfrey played a pass up to Kyel Reid who strode forward to the left edge of the area and hit a sweetly struck shot which hit the left corner of the net for his second goal for the club.
Cray enjoyed some good possession and in the 19th minute looked to extend their lead when Reid and Jai Reason combined to set up Anthony Cook just to the right of the area and from 20 yards curled a shot fractionally over the angle of left post and crossbar. Then Hanfrey found Dickson down the left and his ball across the box just couldn’t find a player to apply a shot on goal.
There was a half opening for Margate when Vance Bola slipped a good ball through to Martial Godo inside the area but was crowded out by a good block from Dean Beckwith and the ball trickled through to ex-Margate keeper Bailey Vose. Cray won a free kick to the right of the area and Reid’s shot came back off a defender in the wall and behind for a corner.
Cray came close to getting a second which would have given them a bit of comfort when Reason, Jack Hanson and Dickson combined to set up Reid down the left of the area but fired over the top.
Margate had shown the occasional flash of what they could do first half but drew level in the 37th minute when Ben Greenhalgh made a run forward and his shot deflected off Ethan Kaiser back towards goal where Godo latched onto the ball, went round Vose and the stroked the ball into the net.
This seemed to tip the balance Margate’s way and came close to going in front before half time when down the left, James Bessey-Saldanha whipped over a very good cross which just glanced off the head of Bola and away from goal and eventually put behind for a corner. Half time just seemed to come at the right time for Cray and with the match all-square.
HT: 1-1
There was a blow at half-time as Dean Beckwith had to go off with a groin pull and was replaced by Marvin McCoy.
Margate came out impressively just after the break and a couple of times tried to work the ball down the right hand side. In the 50th minute they were close to going in front when after Bessey-Saldanha saw a shot deflected behind for a corner the cross from the right from Greenhalgh was met by a terrific header towards the far post from Lewis Knight which was clawed away by Vose and following up Bessey-Saldanha fired over.
Two minutes later Margate did go in front when a fine ball from Knight down the right put Crossley Lema through into the box and crashed in a near post shot and Cray needed to clear their heads.
On the hour Cray threatened to draw level when Freddy Barton put over a fine cross from the right which was met by a flicked header from Chris Dickson from 14 yards which was well held by Bridle-Card. At the other end Greenhalgh hooked a volley from 35 yards which went well wide.
After a brief lull the game had a dramatic seven minute spell and in the 70th minute, Godo took advantage of an errant back pass to advance on goal and his shot from just outside the area was fingertipped onto the underside of the crossbar by Vose and not over the line.
Shortly after Margate came close again when Montel Agyemang went through and his shot seemed to go under Vose but managed to scramble back to claw the ball away and again judged to not be over the line.
In the 74th minute Cray got back on level terms slightly against the run of play when a ball was played up to just outside the area and Chris Dickson looked to clip the ball goalwards and perhaps took a deflection of Ben Swift and looped towards goal and Bridle-Card couldn’t stop the ball from going into the net.
To be fair to Margate they didn’t allow this piece of mis-fortune to derail them and three minutes later from a corner down the left, Greenhalgh’s ball towards the near post was met by Swift and Vose did well to make a save to push the ball out but fell towards the far post where Knight nodded the ball into the net.
The game seemed to lose shape in the last few minutes and went from end to end and Cray looked to get back into it but Jamie Yila’s shot was deflected behind for a corner.
At the other end Margate almost scored a fourth when Ryan Palmer went through on goal and into the area but Vose did well to come and smother the ball.
Despite plenty of endeavour there wasn’t time for another leveller for Cray and Margate saw out the remaining minutes to complete a league double over the Wands. They certainly merited the win on their second half performance while Cray certainly played well for the first half hour but perhaps needed to get that second goal to reflect it.
Cray remain 21st in the table and do need now to get a run going with urgency as we enter 2022 after the defeat and now head for East Thurrock United on New Year’s Day in a big game down the bottom of the table. Margate are comfortably in 8th place and are at home to 2nd placed Folkestone Invicta on New Year’s Day.
Cray Wanderers: Bailey Vose, Freddy Barton, Dean Beckwith (Marvin McCoy, H/T), Ethan Kaiser, Tom Hanfrey, Cameron Brodie, Jack Hanson (Jamie Yila, 66), Jai Reason, Anthony Cook (Fjord Rogers, 83), Kyel Reid, Chris Dickson: Subs: Andy Drury, Kasim Aidoo
Scorers: Reid 10, Dickson 74
Margate: Ben Bridle-Card, Crossley Lema (Ryan Palmer, 79), Joe Anderson, Montel Agyemang, Lewis Knight, Ben Swift (Capt.), Martial Godo, Sam Blackman, James Bessey-Saldanha, Vance Bola (Daniel Thompson, 90), Ben Greenhalgh.
Scorers: Godo 37, Lema 52, Knight 77
Booked: Blackman 45, Bola 90
Referee: Aaron Farmer
Assistants: Damian Nirzadeh, William Donnelly
Att: 441
Pictures supplied by Jon Hilliger.