Margate 2-1 Pilgrims

Dr Martens League

This was a dire game which should best be soon forgotten. After six wins on the trot a bad result was overdue, you could almost feel it coming in the air. With David Norris having completed his move to Bolton Wanderers and top scorer Mark Rawle out injured a few changes had to be made to the usual line-up. Andy Kiwomya came in for Rawle and Gary Childs wore the No. 11 shirt. Surprisingly it was the defence which let the side down today. Paul Wilson put on one of his worst displays since joining the Pilgrims. On Margate's sloping pitch his passing went to pieces, rarely finding another Boston player. Colin Hoyle and David Rennie were also far from their best and even Paul Bastock, who is probably having his best season to date, looked uncertain in goal. Margate thought they had gone into the lead after ten minutes when from a break down the right by Phil Collins a cross found a Margate player at the far post who looped his shot over Bastock into the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Boston then came within inches of taking the lead when a succession of shots were scrambled away after Childs had burst down the wing and floated over a telling cross. Margate went into the lead on 32 minutes when Phil COLLINS, unmarked in front of goal, volleyed home a cross after a defensive mix-up on the edge of the area. The game began to get scrappy, continually being interrupted for minor infringements.

Just before half time Andrew STANHOPE got an equaliser. Wilson broke down the wing and his cross was met by Stanhope at the far post who forced his header home between the keeper and the post. Ten minutes into the second half a foul by Rennie resulted in a free kick on the right wing, from which Graham PORTER rose above his marker to plant a perfect header into the corner of the net. Boston then piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser. Paul Watts came on for Kiwomya and soon came close with a diving header that went just wide following a cross by Steve Charles which was knocked back to Watts by Mickey Nuttell. Stanhope then had a goal ruled out for offside. Andy Lodge then replaced Gary Childs and Lee Power had to come on for Paul Watts who was carried off injured. A quickly taken free kick put Hoyle in the clear but he blasted over the bar from close range. Right at the end Stanhope won a corner but Wilson missed again when he curled the kick straight into touch. With Bath and Burton only drawing and Tamworth losing at home to Grantham this result isn't as disasterous as it could have been. Let's hope this is a new genesis for Margate and they can turn it on again and take some points off Bath, Burton and Tamworth in the next few weeks.

United team: 1. Paul Bastock, 2. Joby Gowshall, 3. Paul Wilson, 4. Colin Hoyle, 5. Peter Costello, 6. David Rennie, 7. Andrew Stanhope, 8. Steve Charles, 9. Mickey Nuttell, 10. Andy Kiwomya, 11. Gary Childs, 12. Paul Watts, 14. Lee Power, 15. Andy Lodge.