Margate 1 Leiston 1

A tremendous battling display from the visitors saw them just seconds away from inflicting a first defeat on leaders Margate. A goal from Charlie Allen deep into stoppage time saved Margate after Leiston led from Cliff Akurang’s deflected effort twelve minutes from time. The Blues travelled to Kent minus the injured pair of Tom Bullard and Scott Mitchell so Adam Tann replaced Bullard at centre half with Stuart Boardley in midfield and Leon Ottley-Gooch in for Michael Brothers, the three changes from the draw at Witham Town on Monday. Margate had won all of their previous six games and are the bookies clear favourites for the title. The home side came roaring out of the blocks with Blues keeper Danny Gay forced to deny both Ryan Moss and Zac Atwood inside the first ten minutes. Finally the visitors settled and Leiston responded with a Craig Parker header cleared off the line while efforts from Leon Ottley-Gooch and Adam Tann went close. It was now developing into a rip-roaring game with play switching from end to end with some excellent football on show from both sides in front of a crowd in excess of 700. The opening half was evenly poised although Danny Gay was certainly the busier of the two keepers and as the half closed he was forced into telling saves to deny Tom Phipp and Zac Attwood again.

Early into the second half Craig Parker had a half chance but his half volley was straight at Nikki Bull in the home goal as the second half resumed where the opening half had left off. Leiston were now looking extremely solid with the home side struggling to make any in-roads past a solid back five. The opening goal was always going to be vital and so it proved as it went to the visitors with twelve minutes remaining. Blues striker Cliff Akurang let fly with a well hit shot that deflected off a Margate defender and looped over the stranded Nikki Bull and into the net for his third goal of the season and his second in as many games. The visitors now had the edge but Margate went for broke and increased the pressure on the visitors. The visitors sighed a breath of relief as Lewis Taylor went down in the box but the Referee booked the Margate midfielder for simulation. Margate poured forward in numbers and it looked as though their luck was out when Charlie Wassmer saw a header crash against the bar. But they got their rewards in the second minute of stoppages. It looked like the superlatives of Danny Gay were going to preserve the three points but after Gay made a stunning save to deny Jason Prior, the ball to fall kindly to Charlie Allen to net and claim a deserved point for the hosts.

FT – Margate 1 Leiston 1

Blues line up: Gay, Saker, P Brothers (Simmons 90 mins), Boardley, Jefford, Tann, Ottley-Gooch, Heath, Akurang (M Brothers 87 mins), Parker, Francis. Subs not used: Winter and Rossis.

Goals: Akurang 78 mins (Leiston), Allen 90+2 mins (Margate)

Yellow cards: Francis (Leiston), Charlie Wassmer & Lewis Taylor (Margate)

Man of the Match: Danny Gay

Attendance: 717