We've not done ourselves justice at home, admits Margate boss Chris Kinnear

MARGATE manager Chris Kinnear says he wants his side to replicate their away form at Hartsdown Park – starting with their mouth-watering FA Cup tie against Bromley on Saturday, writes Stephen McCartney.




Mark Goldberg brings his Bromley side to the Kent coast sitting in tenth place in the Blue Square Bet South table with three wins and three defeats on their travels.

Margate who play one division below, in the Ryman Premier League, presently lie in fifteenth place, with a much better away record than at home.

They have lost five of their six games at Hartsdown Park, but are unbeaten on their travels so far in the league.

“We’re looking forward to it very much,” said Kinnear, ahead of the Third Qualifying Round home tie.

“They’re a good team, a good club and it’s a game that hopefully will end up being a very good game.”

There are only five Kent club’s left in the competition at this stage of the competition. 

Ebbsfleet United begin their campaign in the fourth and final qualifying round, one round before League Two Gillingham. 

There is another Kent derby in the Third Qualifying Round between Cray Wanderers and Dartford at Hayes Lane – and Dover Athletic welcome Wroxham to Crabble.

“Definitely two of us will go through and maybe get the likes of Luton and Mansfield Town, all ex-Football League club’s in the next round so at least there will be a Kent club there,” added Kinnear.

“An FA Cup run is good for anyone.  We’d like to do ourselves justice and maybe go on and play in front of a decent gate and do well.

“Bromley are midtable but they’re a side that’s been at the top of that league over numerous occasions over the last few years so they’ve done well over there.  They’ve got a good manager (Mark Goldberg), a good coach (Murray Jones and Neil Smith), a good club. 

“It will be a tough game for us but it’s not a game where we won’t be going on the back foot, we’ll be trying to go on and win the game.”

Wayne Wilson, meanwhile, misses the game against his former club, after being forced off after just ten minutes of last night’s 2-1 home win over Cray Wanderers in the first round of the Kent Senior Cup sponsored by Portablefloodlights.com

“He’s really quite upset about that,” said Kinnear.  “He’s having a MRI scan on Monday, but we’ll find that (extent of the injury) out on Monday.

“To be fair it was a game really that we wouldn’t have chosen.  Cray play Dartford aren’t they on Saturday, we play Bromley.  Unfortunately they got a couple of injuries, we got a couple of injuries during the game.

“We get on well with Cray as well. It’s funny that both Bromley and Cray both play at Bromley so maybe there’s an omen in there somewhere!”

Kinnear hopes their County Cup success over their only Kent rival in the Ryman Premier League nowadays kick-starts their home form.

When asked about their league campaign to date, Kinnear said: “It’s been a bit slow to be fair.  Our home form has let us down.  We’re unbeaten this year away from home, at home we’ve not done ourselves justice.  We’ve played well and probably been the better side in most of the games but we’ve given a silly goal away here and there.  Hopefully after beating Cray we’ll start a run of good home results.”

Kinnear added: “Obviously you want to play at home and you want your home supporters to come and enjoy it. 

“We’re only just starting as I say, Jake (Leberl, assistant manager) and I only just started at the beginning of the season really and it’s a matter of getting a side together.  It takes time unless you’ve got a ridiculous amount of money.

“It takes a time, Bromley are taking time to get their side together, they’ve been together quite a while.  Cray with Ian Jenkins, he’s been there for 10 years.  It takes time. 

“It will be nice to win more games at home than away, I’ve got to admit!”

Kinnear, who has signed former Tonbridge Angels central defender John Beales, 28, who has played two games for Kent Hurlimann Football League side Erith & Belvedere to regain his match fitness, expects an attack minded game against Goldberg’s men.

“I’m sure it will be a good game,” said the Margate boss.

“They want to attack, we want to attack.  Most sides that do come to Hartsdown come to make it difficult for us.  I’m sure they won’t, being a league above and a good side, they will come to attack us and we do better against sides like that.”

Kinnear knows the importance of winning Saturday’s Kent derby against Bromley, especially as his side are so close to a place in the first round.

“We played Fulham didn’t we and in another year we played Orient,” reflected a proud Kinnear.

“We drew at Orient and beat them in the home game and we’ve played Cardiff in the FA Cup so we’ve had some great times in the FA Cup.

“The club’s slowly getting itself in a stable footing now. It’s probably the best it’s been behind the scenes.  Now the club is really solid, no debts for the first time in many years so it’s a matter of building a side, with the ground going ahead, it looks very positive for Margate.”

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

Margate  v  Bromley
FA Cup with Budweiser Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 15^th October 2011
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Hartsdown Park, Hartsdown Road, Margate, Kent CT9 5QZ