FREAK GOAL LIVENS ‘GATE
By Mike Brett-Smith
MARGATE 2 DARTFORD 2
Og 39, Pratt 67 Osborne (Pen) 60
Att: 745 Gross 78
With halftime approaching and Margate’s ideas rapidly disappearing the season’s biggest fluke allowed them to troop off with a one goal lead.
Sure the home side, aided by the slope and a blustery tail-wind confined Darts mainly to their own half, but they had nothing to show for their territorial dominance. Darts, in fact were, were the first to show when Adam Gross shot wide from inside the home penalty area. Margate reposted immediately and from a right side corner Healey’s flick-on forced Andrew Young to yield a corner.
This was followed by a save low down by Young from a Wilson free-kick. Margate’s reliance on long throws was meat and drink to Darts who are well-versed in the art of defending the long throw and the tactic was generally negated.
With half-time not far away Margate seemed resigned to going in level at best. However a rare Dartford raid was broken up and the ball cleared downhill ending up being contested by Tommy Osborne and Ryan Peters just outside the Darts’ box. Whether it was a back pass is unclear but the ball came back along the ground to Young who gave it a hefty belt. It struck Ossie and looped back over Young and under the bar for Margate’s fortuitous opener allowing them to troop off with a lead their barren tactics did not merit..
Armed with a lead Margate were not envisaging too many excursions into enemy territory. Darts, who had perked up considerably, set about the opposition with a zest which, on the hour, brought its reward.. An unpunished Margate push was followed by a spotted handball and Iceman Tommy Osborne coolly slotted home the subsequent penalty.
Six minutes later a rare Margate excursion ended with Kenny Pratt hitting home his well-taken goal from a dozen yards. Not to be denied and orchestrated by Lee Noble – turning a ‘Man-of-the-Match’ performance – Darts set about Margate and, with a dozen minutes on the clock, Noble fed Adam Gross, out on the left, an exquisite pass and he worked his opening to hit a delightful shot past Mullin for the equaliser.
Dartford Young, Coyle, Gross, Flanagan, Coyle, Osborne, White (Cass 74), Day, Carley, Haworth, Noble. Subs not used – Eferakorho, Isa, Holding, Whitnell.
