Non-League and Academy football writer

Cheshunt welcomed Margate to Theobalds Lane on Tuesday night, for a hugely important Isthmian League Premier Division fixture near the bottom of the league table, and I was in attendance at this game. Cheshunt started the match ten points clear of Margate, who were situated in the relegation zone (in 19th place), going into this game. However, Margate would win this match, which was played in very difficult and rainy conditions, 1-0. During the early stages of the match, as the heavy rain continued to fall, Margate player Mohamed Kamara hit an effort over the Cheshunt goal from distance. There weren’t many early chances in the game, however, shortly after Cheshunt player Alfie Pendlebury had received the ball inside the Margate penalty area and had an effort on the turn deflected behind for a corner, Margate’s Steve Cawley came close to scoring a goal. This Margate chance came from a long goal-kick by Harry Seaden. The ball would bounce for Steve Cawley to hit a good effort from on the right-hand side of the Cheshunt penalty area. However, Cawley’s effort went just wide of goalkeeper Brian Okonkwo’s right hand post.

Following a low effort by Nathaniel Orafu, from the edge of the Margate box, which ended up going wide of their goal, Sam Granville, would a couple of minutes later, carry the ball towards the Margate penalty area. However, his powerful resulting effort was really well pushed away, by the outstretched Harry Seaden. It continued to be a fairly even game, and after Steve Cawley had received Ben Greenhalgh’s pass in the centre of the Cheshunt penalty area, Cawley hit a low, first time effort wide of Brian Okonkwo’s left-hand post. Late on in the first half Cheshunt player Nnmadi Nwachuku had an effort on the turn, from inside the Margate box, deflected into the arms of Harry Seaden. During the early stages of the second half Taylor Miles hit a low effort from distance, just wide of the Margate goal, just before Cheshunt created two decent goalscoring chances in quick succession. The first chance arrived after Nnmadi Nwachuku had received Nathaniel Orafu’s pass on the left side of the Margate penalty. Nnmadi Nwachuku’s powerful effort on goal was well blocked by a defender, before the ball came to Sam Granville, whose effort went over the goal.

Margate came very close to taking the lead in the game, after Steve Cawley had received Mohamed Kamara’s pass some 25 or so yards out from the Cheshunt goal. The impressive Margate forward got the ball out of his feet quickly, before hitting an excellent dipping effort on goal, which ended up hitting the crossbar. Not long after Teddy Perkins had lifted over Ben Greenhalgh’s corner kick towards the near post of the Cheshunt goal, Ben Greenhalgh would hit a powerful free-kick effort just over the Cheshunt goal. Margate had been the better team at this point in the second half. And in the 67th minute of the game the club from Kent would take the lead. Ben Greenhalgh’s free-kick delivery which was delivered well, into the Cheshunt penalty area, was flicked onto substitute Destiny Oladipo, who jumped higher than goalkeeper Brian Okonkwo, to head the ball into the goal, after the goalkeeper was unable to gather the ball, 0-1. Cheshunt tried to respond quickly, however, Antonis Vasiliou’s powerful effort from the edge of the Margate penalty area would go wide of goalkeeper Harry Seaden’s right-hand post.

Margate came close to doubling their advantage in the game, after Brian Okonkwo’s clearance, which had been rushed following some good pressing by Destiny Oladipo, was picked up by Steve Cawley. Cawley would head the ball to Ben Greenhalgh, who caught the ball on the volley a long way out from goal, but Greenhalgh’s excellent volleyed effort bounced just wide of the Cheshunt goal. The home team pushed for an equaliser during the latter stages of the game, but the closest that they came was from a long throw-in into the Margate box, which was volleyed wide of the goal, via a deflection off a defender, by Tomas Mendes. This was a close game of football, which was edged by the away side on the night. However, 19th place Margate still need to go on a good run of results during the final games of the season, and also hope that Cheshunt drop points, in order to avoid relegation to step 4.

Experienced Margate centre-forward Steve Cawley was my player of the match on Tuesday, and I really thought that as well as going close to scoring on a couple of occasions, that the 32 year old linked the play excellently against Cheshunt. However, it was close, between him, goalkeeper Harry Seaden, who made some good and important saves, and also the very impressive and technically gifted Ben Greenhalgh, for who to give player of the match to. Cheshunt did well as a team, and were on occasions unlucky not to score on the night, and for the home side I was particularly impressed by midfielder Sam Granville, who carried the ball forward from midfield really well.