MARGATE 2 HORSHAM 0

MARGATE:
1.Scott Chalmers-Stevens 2.Stuart Harte 3.Justin Skinner 4.Luke Coleman (Axon) 5.Lois Smith 6.Jay Saunders 7.Steve McKimm 8.Dean Standen 9.James Pinnock 10.Charlie Side (Akinde) 11.Jimmy Jackson (Morris) Subs: 12.Daniel Young 14.John Akinde 15.Keiron Morris 16.Paul Axon 17.Matt Bowles
Scorers: Side (45), Pinnock (68)

HORSHAM:
1.Alan Mansfield 2.Andy Howard 3.Nigel Brake 4.Eddie French 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lewis Taylor (Myall) 7.Jacob Mingle 8.John Westcott (Salaam) 9.Tom Graves (Rook) 10.Gary Charman 11.Lee Carney Subs: 12.Stuart Myall 14.Yinka Salaam 15.Dean Wright 16.Carl Rook 17.Rob Frankland

reporter: Jim Bravery
photographs by John Lines

League leaders Horsham arrived on the Kent coast with a hundred percent record from their first three games, making them the team to beat. However, John Maggs was forced to cope without his first choice strike force of Lee Farrell and Carl Rook who were both missing from the starting line-up due to injury and so it was left to Gary Charman and Tom Graves to lead the line against a side who had never previously lost to the Hornets.

The Hartsdown Park ground, though bathed in sunshine for this Bank Holiday fixture, resembled a building site with ongoing redevelopment work taking place as the game got underway with the teams changing ends before kick off, the bright sun in the eyes of the home keeper Scott Chalmers Stevens. But it was Horsham's Alan Mansfield who had to make the first save in the third minute, making a clean catch from Jimmy Jackson's inswinging corner. At the other end Nigel Brake whipped in an early cross, having been put in by an astute pass from Jacob Mingle, but Charman’s header looped toward goal and was easily cleared by the covering Jay Saunders at the heart of the Blues defence. In the tenth minute, a long Lee Carney throw was half headed away as far as Mingle but his lay off to Lewis Taylor took a high bounce and the attempted effort went high and wide of the goal. Horsham maintained their good start and Carney cut in from the left flank, collecting a good through ball from Taylor, but his thunderbolt effort cleared the bar by a few inches and, on the quarter hour mark, John Westcott's corner found the head of Kevin Hemsley only to see it drop onto the top of the net. Westcott went close with a volley and the hard-working Graves almost created a shooting chance for Charman after working the ball across the area, Justin Skinner just getting a boot in to avert the danger. At the other end, quick breakaways from both wide men were causing panic in the Hornets defence. Charlie Side almost got through after robbing Mingle on the edge of the box and his chip had to be palmed away by the alert Mansfield with Jason Pinnock waiting for the chance to pounce. Margate were showing more composure in midfield and Jackson came closest to opening the scoring with a rasping drive that Mansfield somehow managed to turn onto the bar and over for a corner after 24 minutes. Mingle's elusive side steps saw the midfield man brought down twice within a few seconds but Taylor’s free-kick presented Chalmers-Stevens with a comfortable save. Brake and Carney's understanding saw some nice approach work but the home defence looked solid and most of Horsham's chances came from long range efforts that hardly troubled the home custodian. For Margate, Side found the head of the in rushing Luke Coleman, forcing a save from Mansfield, with the number four finding a lot of space out wide on the right.

Horsham's best chance came seven minutes before the break. Carney, who had caused a few problems for the home, side cut in from the left and went past two attempted tackles on the edge of the box before being brought down by a clumsy challenge. The direct free kick was taken by Mingle whose left footed effort was palmed away by brilliantly by Chalmers-Stevens who bravely threw himself in to prevent Hemsley from converting the loose ball. Moments later, Charman missed what looked like a sitter when Westcott ‘s telling cross reached Graves at the far post but his header across the goalkeeper caught Charman unawares and his late lunge just missed making contact by a matter of inches with the goal at his mercy. A minute later the hard working Taylor was setting up a half chance for Carney, again cutting inside Harte, but his effort only made the side netting and another chance had gone. Taylor's pass was to be the last we would see of the industrious midfielder who appeared to take a heavy knock on the ankle and, after a few minutes treatment, he tried to play on but was clearly in pain, collapsing in a heap before being lifted off the pitch. His replacement, Stuart Myall, entered the arena to a big cheer from the home crowd with whom the full-back had enjoyed some good-natured banter in last season’s corresponding fixture. With Brake moving into a left-wing role to accommodate Myall, and Carney taking up Taylor’s central role, Horsham were looking to ease themselves into the half-time break on level terms but the home team had better ideas and applied some late pressure, Coleman slicing a half chance wide before Harte's excellent cross found the head of Justin Skinner whose effort just cleared the crossbar. The deadlock was broken when, with fifty minutes on the clock, a great through ball put Side through and his pace took him past the static Myall and Eddie French to decisively strike a rising shot past the exposed Mansfield into the net to give the home team a great half time boost, Mr Regan bringing the half to a close just seconds later.

H/T: Margate 1 Horsham 0

Undeterred by the late setback, Horsham's players took the game to their opponents in the second period, winning a couple of free-kicks – the second of which drew a good full-stretch save from the ‘keeper from Carney’s drive. Margate took their turn to put together some attacking moves, with Pinnock looking more and more dangerous as he zig-zagged his way into the box to be sent sprawling by French's tackle but referee Regan waved play on. Ten minutes in, Carney was harshly adjudged to have fouled Standen and was cautioned by the man in the middle but the visitors received a let-off when the normally reliable Myall made a hash of a clearance, hitting his pass straight to the advancing Coleman whose his shot beat Mansfield only to hit the top of the bar. The game was becoming more open and play switched from end to end but it was the Blues who looked more threatening with Horsham’s wayward shooting from distance rarely testing Chalmers-Stevens. The 65th minute saw the surprising introduction of the injured Rook, despite Maggs’ pre-match suggestion that he wouldn't be risking him despite his presence on the bench. Myall had scored Horsham’s goal in last season’s 1-1 draw but he was off target this time, blazing a half volley over the top that threatened the safety of the supporters more than the scoreline and a header from Mingle was also just too high as Maggs’ side continued their search for an equaliser. Yet the lead was doubled in the 73rd minute when the Hornets’ defence was opened up by some delightful one touch passes, the final ball putting Pinnock in on goal and, as Mansfield came off his line to meet him, the Blues front man picked his spot and hammered the ball into the unmarked net for a 2-0 lead. The goal prompted a couple of substitutions, Westcott making way for Yinka Salaam while, for the hosts, first half scorer Side made way for John Akinde. Pinnock almost got through for a second time but a timely French tackle rescued the Hornets just as the striker was about to hit the strike button. With under 10 minutes to go Robin Trott replaced the influential Coleman with Paul Axon but, before he had chance to settle, another good build up involving Brake, Carney, Charman and Rook saw Brake send a shot wide of the post. It clearly was not going to be Horsham’s day however, and the home side played out the remaining minutes comfortably. Carney tried his luck from range, in the 5th minute of injury time, but his shot, like so many before it, sailed harmlessly over the crossbar and Horsham had suffered their first defeat of the season.

Horsham will probably feel a bit hard done by but although the scoreline slightly flattered the hosts they probably deserved the points for getting more shots on target. Horsham now occupy third spot after just one game at the top, the main concern though is the loss of another vital player in Lewis Taylor for possibly a month, along with striker Farrell and Rook. The season that looked rosy after the first three games now looks like it could be a battle to muster a team to compete with the rest. Having injured players sitting on the bench and in, some cases, having to play shows the lack of depth we have in our squad. Let’s hope that someone, somewhere, waves the magic wand and gets these lads fighting fit as there is a long season ahead.

More match photos can be found here

NEXT MATCH: v Carshalton Athletic (h) Saturday 1st September ko 3.00pm