Margate 1-1 Broadbridge Heath

You can keep the Costa Brava as The Bears travelled Down To Margate for an Isthmian League South East Division match, their first ever visit to Margate FC.

After relegation at the end of last season the Gate were many people’s favourites for a quick return to the Isthmian Premier Division but although an automatic return is now unlikely they are still well positioned in fourth, for a place in the play-off, when anything can happen.

Chris Simmons side were still missing a host of players through injury but club skipper Kyle Sim was back in the heart of the Heath defence with Jamie Chesworth named on the bench alongside new signing Faris Khallouqui, returning to the club after spells at Hassocks and Hayward Heath.

The home-side had the first goal attempt on 4 minutes when Tushan Walters received the ball wide on the right and cut inside before striking a left foot shot from the edge of the penalty area that flew high and wide of Alfie Hadfield’s goal. But it was The Bears who took the lead 3 minutes later when a free kick from the right was played in by Callum Dowdell towards the near post to Sean Terry stooping low to head home from close range.

Heath came close to adding a second midway through the half when Matt Hay received the ball wide on the left of the Margate penalty area and cut inside before he unleashed a right foot shot that flew narrowly wide of Margate keeper Tom Wray’s left post.

Margate’s best chance of the half came on 33 minutes and it fell to Ibrahim Olutade who received the ball from Harry Hudson and drilled a fierce right foot shot which was saved brilliantly by Hadfield.

Heath felt they should have been awarded a penalty minutes before the interval when Matt Hay appeared to have been wacked in the back of the head, one can only assume the referee had the sun in his eyes as nothing was awarded and it remained 0-1 at the break.

The hosts were given a dressing-down during the half-time interval and they came out far more determined, Ben Greenhaigh hit a right foot shot from 14 yards that crashed against the Heath crossbar and minutes later it was all square when Walters hammered a right foot shot from 20 yards that flew past Hadfield.

The Gate continued to have the lion’s share of possession but couldn’t break down the solid looking Heath defence, Greenhaigh probably had their best chance 15 minutes from time when he ran three quarters of the length of the pitch with the ball and hammered a left foot shot from 18 yards that went straight into the arms of Hadfield.

On 86mins Heath were reduced to 10 players when Sim was booked for the second time but the hosts were unable to capitalise on the advantage and it remained 1-1 at full-time.

Simmo said afterwards: It was a great performance in the 1st half and we could of been 2 or 3 in front, 2nd half was disappointing but i think we deserved at least a point in the end.

Team: Hadfield, Fuller, Terry, Napper, Sim, Peters, Dowdell (Khallouqui 82), Evans (Waddingham 88), Goldson, Hay (Staight 90), Adam.