Ricky Holmes came of the bench at Hartsdown Park to rescue an opening day point for the highly fancied Chelmsford City. I was surprised when I found out he wasn’t starting as I rate him as the best player in non league football but his introduction with 30 mins left changed the game as his pace and directness left the Gates defence tied in knots.
City handed competitive debuts to Danny Gay, Lee Protheroe, Andy Duncan, Aidan Collins, Ben Sedgemore, Bertie Brayley and John Keeling but it was the home side who had struggled with financial problems in the close season who made the brighter start on a beach of a pitch with very strong winds which is why Player-Manager Robin Trott tried a cheeky lob early-on to try and catch new ‘keeper Danny Gay off his line but the former Heybridge Swifts man was equal to it. Shortly afterwards, Jimmy Jackson forced Gay into a parry which resulted in a scramble in the goalmouth but nothing came of it.
Chelmsford’s best chance of the half fell to center back Aiden Collins who turned on the edge of the box but his shot deflected off of a defender and went wide. Margate should then really have been down to 10 men when Steve McKimm tangled with former team mate Brayley having just been recently booked but the ref turned a blind eye.
The first half was a typical first game of season affair with both sides feeling each other other out and it wasn’t the best spectacle with the best action coming when a kids football bounced onto the pitch so the ref had to run about 60 yards to remove it as it was the otherside of the half to were the linesman on that side was.
Immediately after half time the home team went close when Jackson thumped a drive onto the post and forcing it to bounce agonisingly across the face of goal. But the Clarets returned the favour eight minutes later, this time Protheroe holding his head as his free-kick whacked the crossbar.
Margate then took the lead when James Haworth appeared to be pulled down for a possible penalty but, in the resulting confusion, defender Luke Coleman found the net with the loose ball. After this it was all Chelmsford as the Clarets pushed for an equaliser with Ricky Holmes at the heart of every City attack and their reward came 5 minutes from time when the ball fell kindly for Holmes, who drilled low and hard from the edge of the area to rescue a point.
After the game City manager had this to say:
“We should never have conceded in the first place. but not many teams will come to Margate and take away three points so, on this occasion, we’ll settle for one.”
I was very impressed with some of the debutantes particularly Danny Gay who showed a safe pair of hands and he claimed any balls in the air. Lee Protheroe dead ball abilities really impressed me not only did he hit the bar with a free kick outside the area but all off his corners were whipped in with purpose and all threatened. Andy Duncan and Aidan Collins were also commanding at the back and dealt with everything that came their way. I was less impressed with Bertie Brayley and John Keeling but its still very early days and I wont judge them on one game on a difficult pitch.
