Valiant K’s Fall to Margate
Football - it’s a game of opinions. Or so we’re told by the men behind desks who appear before and halfway through matches on TV. Obviously most people’s football opinions are dreadful, but football’s first amendment protects everyone’s right to having one.
Kingstonian’s 3-1 defeat to Margate was a game full of opinions. Here are some of them.
“The game’s gone!”
Margate had already taken the lead before the evening’s decisive moment. Just minutes after Jordan Chiedozie had lashed the ball past Rob Tolfrey after Ks struggled to clear a corner, Kingstonian’s captain Kevin Maclaren dived in to poke a loose ball away from Sam Blackman. While MacLaren got the ball, he also got a chunk of the man and while Blackman certainly made the most of the contact MacLaren was shocked to receive a red card which put his side on the back foot.
“How’s he still on the pitch?!?”
Home fans’ ire was ignited again just minutes later. A ball into the channel for Andre McCollin was overhit enough for the Premier League award for best cameo appearance winner Lenny Pidgeley to collect. Or was it? After gathering the ball, Pidgeley’s momentum took him, and the ball, out of the area and sent the assistant’s flag skywards. With the free kick given, the home fans quickly set to demanding the red card... he was outside the area... goal scoring opportunity... last man... The yellow card was shown while the intricacies of the law were still being discussed.
“Ks were....ok?”
Despite the three first half setbacks, Ks acquitted themselves well. The hosts had their fair share of possession and had looked lively enough before going behind and going in to the break one down. An early second half intervention from Andre McCollin made their performance look even better. After the always dangerous Andrew Musungu was brought down, Tom Beere’s whipped free kick was perfect, Andre’s flicked header to level the scores was devastating. 1-1 and a chance of an impressive result against the in-form Kent side suddenly on.
“I hate football”
Sadly, it was not to be. Just five minute’s after the equaliser, Margate retook the lead from another corner. (Ex-K)ane Haysman got a near post flick on, but the ball should never have traveled so far across the area, so close to goal, giving Chiedozie the simplest of tap ins to double his account for the night. Still Ks pressed, still they looked dangerous, but they were undone by a fine piece of improvisation, as Sam Blackman, once again on the floor, somehow nodded the ball down into Haysman’s path from a seated position, to give the midfielder his customary Fetcham Grove goal.
A disappoint result but a not disheartening performance for Ks, well, that’s my opinion anyway.
Match report by Jamie Cutteridge.
