We can go to Croydon and beat them, says Margate boss O'Connell

Tuesday 24th August 2010

MARGATE boss Iain O’Connell has received a big boost ahead of their trip to big-spending Croydon Athletic on Wednesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Thanet club have received international clearance for striker Ishmail Kamara, 23, ahead of their trip to Thornton Heath to play a Croydon Athletic side that came away from Folkestone Invicta with a comfortable 2-0 win on the opening day.

Kamara, who has previously played for Motala AIF in the Swedish League, is a Sierra Leone International, having won five caps for his country. He has also played in the Ivory Cost and Thailand.

He missed the 2-2 draw with Canvey Island at Hartsdown Park at the weekend, where the Blues fought back from 2-0 down to clinch a draw, courtesy of goals from debutant Craig Cloke and substitute Dean Grant.

O’Connell, who handed five players their debuts against the Essex side, thought his side should have gone on to win the game.

“Two points lost in the end,” he told www.margate-fc.com. “I think if we had scored the second one a little bit earlier, then we (could) have had three points.

“But, we scored twice, so did they, so (it was) probably a fair result.

“The boys are disappointed. Even at 2-0 down, I still felt we were going to go on and win the game.

“I’m disappointed with the goals we let in. One was a foul on the edge of the area we should never have given away; the second one, we should have won two tackles. The ball fell forward off one of our players to their centre forward who turned and scored. It was a good finish but he should never have got their really.”

O’Connell singled out substitute Grant, who scored a cracker of an equaliser with only eleven minutes remaining.

He said: “What a goal, what a great goal that is! It’s come down with snow on the ball and he’s volleyed it in; great finish.”

Cloke was playing for only his second club, after spending the last nine years with his home-town club Dover Athletic.

“We’d have taken (the draw) when we were 2-0 down, but at the end of the game, we wanted the three points,” Cloke told www.margate-fc.com.

He added: “I had nine years at Dover and it is definitely weird (playing for someone else). But I think I needed a fresh challenge after my big injury. It’s a good challenge for me to get back playing again.”

O’Connell expects a tough game on Wednesday night.

“They’re going to be up there, by the looks of it they seem to have loads of money, so I think that will be will be a very hard game,” he told www.kentishfootball.co.uk.

“We had that last year when we played Dartford away and beat them so we can go there and do a job. Hopefully Saturday’s game will give us confidence.”

Midfielder Jay Saunders, meanwhile, will complete his two match suspension after this game and will be available for selection for the trip to newly promoted side Lowestoft Town on Saturday.

Full-back, Curtis Robinson (hip) and defender, Sam Groombridge (hamstring) could be drafted into the squad to face Tim O’Shea’s side, who came away from Cheriton Road with first half goals from striker Ben Godfrey and former Tonbridge midfielder Sam Long.

www.kentishfootball.co.uk will be covering this game

Visit Margate’s website: www.margate-fc.com

Croydon Athletic v Margate

Ryman Premier League

Wednesday 25th August 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At The KT Stadium, Mayfield Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 6DN