Kentish Football 
Kingstonian 1-1 Margate (3-2 pens) - Jamie Turner made the best save I've ever seen, says O'Connell
Monday 27th September 2010
KINGSTONIAN 1-1 MARGATE
(after extra time - Kingstonian won 3-2 on penalties)
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Second Qualifying Round Replay
Monday 27th September 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Kingsmeadow Stadium
MARGATE boss Iain O’Connell was clearly a dejected man after his battling side were dumped out of the FA Cup in the cruellest of fashion - losing a penalty shoot out.
The Thanet side went into this Second Qualifying Round replay on the back of a five match unbeaten run so it was no surprise that both Ryman Premier League sides cancelled each other out for 120 minutes of turgid football.
Margate broke the stalemate first - as they did at Hartsdown Park on Saturday - through Wayne Wilson’s excellent 20-yard free-kick, but third-placed Kingstonian levelled through Lee Hall’s swept volley in the second half.
Margate’s chances went downhill when forward Shaun Welford collected his second yellow card during the second period of extra-time and keeper Jamie Turner produced two world class saves afterwards, but Tommy Osborne, Jay Saunders and Lawrence Ball had their penalties saved by Kingstonian goalkeeper Rob Tolfrey as Alan Dowson’s side booked a trip to Blue Square Bet South draw specialists St Albans City in the Third Qualifying Round on 9 October.
O’Connell made a couple of changes to his side with Osborne well enough to play 120 minutes having missed the 1-1 draw on Saturday through flu and Ishmail Kamara partnered Welford up front.
Margate’s superb back three of Lawrence Ball, Curtis Robinson and John Keister protected keeper Turner and Kingstonian had to rely on two Matt Gray free-kicks, which twice deflected wide, early on.
But Margate grabbed the lead, with their first shot at goal, after 24 minutes, but what an excellent goal it was!
Dean Grant was fouled by Jean-Sylvain Dossou on the edge of the penalty box and Wilson sent a left-footed free-kick from 20-yards over the five man wall and down over Tolfrey’s fingertips and the ball dropped in underneath the crossbar.
Kingstonian called visiting keeper Turner into making just the one save during the first half as he palmed away an angled left-footed drive from attacking left wing-back Tom Bird from outside the box after a free-kick from Tolfrey yards from the half-way line found it’s way to him.
A game of very few goalscoring chances, it was evident that this game would not be settled following two hours of football.
Kingstonian pair Lee Hall and Gray were both forced to shoot from at least 30 yards, but both shots were off target, before the home side drew level after 66 minutes.
Robinson was excellent, but one lapse in concentration gifted the equaliser when he allowed Tobi Jinadu’s cross from the left drop over him and Hall swept a low volley past Turner into the corner.
Kingstonian enjoyed plenty of possession, but had to wait until the 73rd minute to call Turner into action when he advanced off his line to thwart striker Dean Lodge, who was played in by low through ball by Dossou.
Lodge then picked the ball up from Gray’s throw from the right and unleashed a shot on the turn, which produced a comfortable diving save from the former Maidstone United stopper.
The Margate defence restricted Kingstonian’s leading goalscorer Bobby Traynor to just the one chance before his withdrawal, as with just five minutes of normal time remaining, the prolific marksman headed Bird’s left-wing cross wide from just six-yards out.
Margate almost snatched victory a minute later when Jay Saunders knocked the ball down for Ball to smash a low drive into Tolfrey’s arms from outside the box.
Kingstonian were still enjoying plenty of possession during the first period of extra time and Turner was forced to dive to his left but was relieved to see Gray’s left-footed drive from 30-yards crash into the side netting.
Turner was alert to deny Kingstonian in the 99th minute when, expecting either Bird or Gray to have a pop at goal with a free-kick just outside the box, Bird slipped the ball in around the corner for Lodge to drive his shot towards the near post but he wasn’t going to beat the giant keeper, who beat away the shot.
But Turner made a couple of world-class saves during the second period of extra time, either side of Welford’s sending off.
Gray floated in a cross from the inside left channel towards the far post and Tobi Jinadu leapt to head the ball back from the by-line for Lodge to bullet a goal bound header towards the roof of the net from just six-yards out, but Turner dived full stretch to his right and with his right hand turned the ball away in midair.
Welford was left shaking his head as he walked towards the players tunnel with eleven minutes remaining, picking up his second yellow card of the night for a challenge on Kingstonian defender Adam Thompson.
Turner excelled again to prevent substitute Gomez Dali from similar range and there was controversy when O’Connell was denied the opportunity to bring Craig Cloke off the bench to take one of Margate’s penalties as Turner waited to take a goal-kick seconds before the final whistle blew.
Ten penalties were taken in the Kingsmeadow drizzle, with the first five all being tucked away, although the last five were all saved, as the penalty shoot-out proved to be the only excitement on the night.
Up stepped Kingstonian skipper Thompson first, who sent Turner the wrong way with the first penalty and Margate’s player-assistant John Keister levelled, although Tolfrey guessed the right way, but couldn’t prevent the ball nestling into the corner.
Gray and Wilson both found the back of the net, and the fifth spot-kick, fired in by Lodge, proved to be the winning strike as two Kingstonian substitutes Dali and Sam Clayton’s efforts were saved well by Turner, but unfortunately for Margate, Osborne, Saunders and Ball didn’t beat Tolfrey from the spot, leaving O’Connell a bitterly disappointed man afterwards when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk.
“The boys are gutted,” he said. “They dug in, had a player sent off. All I want to do is laugh about it. Unbelievable,”
But O’Connell was pleased with Wilson’s opening goal and the way they battled with their backs against the wall for 120 minutes.
“Brilliant! It was a great goal - and we’ve lost on penalties tonight,” he said. “There’s not much I can say really. I’m just totally gutted, the players are gutted. They worked hard, gone down to ten-men, kept them out and the sending off, unbelievable!”
O’Connell signalled out former Dartford defender Osborne for special praise tonight.
He said: “Oz. Special mention for him. He’s had flu’ and he’s ended up playing 120 minutes! Outstanding!
“We’re really low at the moment, we’ve got lots of injuries, we’ve got people missing. Oz has had to play tonight with flu. He’s come through it brilliantly.
“Jamie Turner has probably made the best save I’ve ever seen tonight! What a save it was! Just unbelievable.
“Jamie Turner made two world class saves.
“Most of the opportunities were from long range. I thought we weathered the storm in the last ten minutes when Shaun got sent off.
“I thought we was gonna do it, but there you go.”
When asked the mood in the away dressing room at the final whistle, O’Connell replied: “The boys are absolutely gutted. We thought, going down to ten men, unfairly, I think there was four bookings in the game, I didn’t see a bad tackle. I didn’t see one out there today!”
Despite Turner’s extra time heroics, the keeper was on the losing team during the penalty lottery.
“I think they were at a good height for a keeper,” O’Connell admitted.
“I think Jamie Turner’s made the best saves from the penalties, one of them (to deny Clayton), low down to his right was unbelievable! But that’s the way it is with penalties.”
O’Connell added: “We didn’t play as well as we can tonight. We’re light, we’re missing players and it showed tonight, so we’re obviously disappointed. Hopefully we’ll bounce back from that.”
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Dean Hamlin (Sam Clayton 115), Tom Bird, Adam Thompson, Max Hustwick, Tobi Jinadu, Matt Gray, Jean-Sylvain Dossou (Carl Wilson-Denis 104), Bobby Traynor (Gomez Dali 95), Dean Lodge, Lee Hall.
Subs: Bashiru Alimi, Nic Taylor, Tom Duffy, Billy Dunn.
Goal: Lee Hall 66
Margate: Jamie Turner, Aaron Lacy, Tommy Osborne, Curtis Robinson, Lawrence Ball, John Keister, Wayne Wilson, Jay Saunders, Shaun Welford, Ishmail Kamara (Alex Waugh 72), Dean Grant (James Sherman 113).
Subs: Craig Cloke, Sam Groombridge, Josh Winchcombe, Kane Harrington, James Pinnock.
Goal: Wayne Wilson 24
Booked: John Keister 22, Wayne Wilson 26, Shaun Welford 29, Curtis Robinson 110
Sent off: Shaun Welford 109
Attendance: 350
Referee: Mr Mark Eva (Tongham, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Andrew Mawby (Woking, Surrey) & Mr Jason Connolly (Camberley, Surrey)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd