Margate 1-1 Bognor Regis Town - We went into the game with poor mental focus, admits O'Connell

Saturday 03rd April 2010

MARGATE 1-1 BOGNOR REGIS TOWN
Ryman Premier League
Easter Saturday 3rd April 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Hartsdown Park

MARGATE boss Iain O’Connell says he was disappointed with his side’s first half performance but a route-one strike from James Pinnock salvaged a point against basement side Bognor Regis Town.

Margate stretched their unbeaten run to eight games and enhance their chances of beating the drop, although this relegation scrap was a poor encounter for the above average crowd of 469 at sun-kissed Hartsdown Park.

Bognor Regis Town arrived sitting at the foot of the Ryman Premier League table, but they went in at the break a goal up, courtesy of Jason Prior’s deft finish.

But O’Connell rallied his troops into action and they claimed a deserved point, courtesy of Pinnock’s strike seventeen minutes from time.

Margate remain one place above the drop zone as other games at the wrong end of the table were washed out but they will be confident of staying up with only five games left to play.

“Yes, I’m disappointed with the first half, that’s the first time I had to go in at half-time and give the players a b******ing really,” O’Connell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.

“I’ve always said they’ve given me 100% but today, first half, I don’t think their minds were right. I said to them at half-time do not look at the league table, it didn’t matter where Bognor were, they’re quite a good side and I think, first half, we took liberties.

“There were only five or six that maybe gave me 100%. I went in at half-time and told them what I thought and at least they reacted to that and showed me second half what they can do. It’s just a shame we didn’t go on and win it.”

Supporting The Rocks must be frustrating as their performances warrant to be much higher in the league table. Had they converted more of their half-chances then they would have claimed their eighth win of the season and leapfrogged over Waltham Abbey in the table.

Bognor Regis deservedly broke the deadlock, stunning the Hartsdown Park faithful in the 16th minute.

Richard Hudson (who was the visitors’ outlet during the first half with numerous crosses from the right) cut the ball back to supporting James Crane and the right-back whipped in an excellent cross and Prior swept the ball bouncing past Jamie Turner to find the far corner of the net.

The visitors were denied a second when Hudson latched onto George Barker’s ball over the top and after riding Curtis Robinson’s challenge, his fierce drive from just inside the box was beaten away by Turner before the Margate left wing-back cleared the danger.

The Ryman Premier League table must be the most open in English football as Bognor Regis clearly didn’t play like a side rooted to the foot of the table and teams can switch from one end of the table to another at a rate of knots if they string some results together.

If only Margate had this group of players at the start of the season. They might have been challenging for promotion and or the play-off’s.

The visitors had a goal chalked off for offside when Margate went asleep following Mickey Demetriou’s throw and Prior released Barker in behind the defence but the flag had already been raised by the time that Lewis Ide fired the ball into the corner.

But O’Connell’s inspirational half-time team talk was the motivation his side needed to pull their socks up and leave Bognor Regis on the back foot.

Robinson cut the ball back to defender Grant Cooper, who sprinted forward with the ball before striking a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which bounced into Anthony Ender’s hands in what was his first save of the game.

But Bognor Regis almost grabbed a second on the counter-attack when substitute Michael Birmingham played the ball inside to Baker, whose left-footed effort from 25-yards bounced off the top of the crossbar with Turner beaten.

Inspirational Margate skipper, Jay Saunders, then played in a tired looking Leroy Huggins, but the former VCD Athletic striker lashed his shot high into the side netting before being substituted as O’Connell brought on Dean Grant and Nick Barnes.

Margate’s best chance of the game finally arrived three minutes before their equaliser.

Cooper delivered a high, hanging free-kick from midfield, and this was met by a bullet header by Saunders which screamed across the penalty box and Grant swept the ball towards goal only for the shot to be cleared off the line by long-serving Bognor Regis stalwart Birmingham.

But Margate levelled in the 73rd minute. It wasn’t pretty, but nonetheless it had the desired effect.

Bognor Regis failed to deal with Turner’s big kick straight down the middle of the pitch and despite Sam Jones attempting to flick the ball on, Pinnock latched onto it like a flash and the striker slammed a low right-footed drive past Ender from just inside the box.

This goal lifted both supporters and players alike, but Margate couldn’t find the killer instinct again and had to settle for a point - a point gained admitted O’Connell.

Yet again, two seasoned professionals, were praised by the manager.

“Jay Saunders, today, he’s unbelievable, he’s running all over the place,” said O’Connell. “He’s legs have absolutely gone in the last ten minutes, that’s just the effort that he’s putting in all the games.

“James Pinnock, another one, fantastic today! First half, second half, his touch never let him down, kept the ball, never gave it away and scored a great goal. We’ve got characters in the side.”

O’Connell reflected on the game, saying, “Maybe my words had scorched them, I don’t know. I know what we can do and that wasn’t us first half. As I say, we’ve always shown 100% ever since I’ve been here but today we didn’t first half.

“Second half, as I say, there gave me 100% and they played better and passed the ball and we had opportunities and Jamie Pinnock scored a great goal.”

Today’s draw represents Margate’s longest unbeaten run of form since October 2005.

O‘Connell said: “We’ve gained another point towards safety. I’d rather had three, of course, I go into every game wanting three. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, I want three points and that’s the only thing I’m disappointed today.

“Second half, we showed character again. We came from a goal behind and scored a good goal. Well done the lads for coming out second half anyway.”

Playing in front of their largest crowd since Kent rivals Maidstone United visited Hartsdown Park on 2 January, O’Connell had this message for the Margate faithful.

“I’m just disappointed we couldn’t give them something more to shout about today especially first half, which was awful,” he added.

When asked why the first half was so poor, O’Connell replied, “Mental focus, I think. I think we went into that game with that awful feeling of they’re bottom, looking at the table.

“It doesn’t matter, as I said to the boys, we beat Dartford and they were top and we were bottom so that shows you there’s less of a space between us and Bognor and I think that was what the reason was first half, but second half we put it right but couldn’t quite get the win.”

Margate: Jamie Turner, Aaron Lacy, Curtis Robinson (Nick Barnes 72), Tommy Osborne, Grant Cooper, Dan Young, Dan Stubbs, Jay Saunders, Leroy Huggins (Dean Grant 68), James Pinnock, Sam Jones.
Subs: Lloyd Blackman, Sam Groombridge, Alex Krunic.

Goal: James Pinnock 73

Bognor Regis Town: Anthony Ender, James Crane, Mickey Demetriou (Michael Birmingham 58), Patrick Cox, Tim Bond, Lewis Dunk, Richard Hudson, Lewis Ide (Matthew Wood 90), Jason Prior, George Barker (Charlie Marshall 86), Dan Beck.
Subs: Matthew Wood, Charlie Oatway, Pat Lawrence.

Goal: Jason Prior 16

Booked: Jason Prior 90

Attendance: 469
Referee: Mr Ian Crouch (Orpington)
Assistants: Mr Ollie Jackson (Gillingham) & Mr Martin Peck (West Malling)