Kent Senior Cup First Round 30th November 2021 Attendance 110
Margate 5 v Cray Valley (PM) 0
Goals: M - Ekpiteta 4, Bola 6, Prestidge 28, Bessey-Saldanha 55, 59

With first team injuries taking their toil and the treatment table seemingly growing with each match, manager Kevin Watson took the opportunity of giving our young Millers the chance to gain some valuable experience by taking on Margate in the Kent Senior Cup. Fielding predominantly our U18 side who have had an excellent start to the season it proved a challenging night after conceding two goals in the opening six minutes. James Bessey-Saldanya a Margate first team player returning from injury was the instigator using his pace and providing the crosses out wide before scoring twice himself in the second half. The plucky young Millers though kept going throughout and at times played some excellent passing football. Despite the scoreline they can be pleased with their efforts.

Richard J Green reports:

THE YOUNG MILLERS’ HOPES OF A NIGHT IN DREAMLAND CAME CRASHING DOWN as Gate moved comfortably into the second round of the County Cup.
Fielding an inexperienced side in lieu of an injury stricken first team squad, Kevin Watson’s Millers fell behind in the fourth minute as a penetrative run to the right hand bye-line from the excellent James Bessey-Saldanha saw his low cross converted at the far post by Calvin Ekpiteta.
Before the visitors could re-group, the lead was extended two minutes later – Bessey-Saldanha’s cross being headed beyond the reach of Alex Nika by Vance Bola.
Bola was one of several members of the Gate first team squad taking advantage of the opportunity to gain match practice following a recent lay-off – and it showed as Valley struggled to get an early foothold in the game.
When Joshua Serry-Kamal brought down an opponent just outside his own penalty area shortly before the half hour, Reece Prestedge fired home the resultant free-kick despite the best efforts of Nika, to further extend the lead.
Now starting to come to grips with the task in hand, some intricate interplay in the Gate penalty area finished with Flint David-King firing narrowly wide after being set up by Robert Hughes for Valley - while Jude Salmon was on hand to halt a superb run from Fyn Rutherford that further threatened the Millers’ goal.
Bessey-Saldanha himself added further goals early in the second half – first with a low twenty yard drive, then following a solo raid on the left – before Serry-Kamal and Harry Day went close with efforts to giving Valley a late reward for their efforts.

MILLERS’ STAR MAN: – JAMIE OBIANIGWE – A all action display from the young Millers man

MATCH RATING: - ***

GATE : Colmer, Godo, Nzinga, Prestedge, Johnson, Oke, Bessey-Saldanha (Harman 74), Rutherford, Feyi(Nkeitah 71), Ekpiteta, Bola © (Lewis 46)
Substitutes Not used: Oliver, Weatherley
Cautions: Nzinga

MILLERS : Nika, Beerling, Serry-Kamal (Abiola 83), Salmon ©, Smeeth, Hopper, Obianigwe, H.Day (Waitson 88), David-King, Hughes, Kelsey (L.Day 89)
Not used : Osborne
Cautions: Serry-Kamal, Obianigwe

Referee – Simon Finnigan
Assistants – Richard Joss and Samuel Hall

Finally a big thank you to the Margate photographer Kevin Oakley who after a brief chat at half time was kind enough to send through after the game some excellent photos of our players. Thank you Kevin.

Photos: Courtesy of Kevin Oakley - Oakley Photosport
Photographer for Margate FC.
Main pic: Charlie Smeeth denies Gate striker Ken Feyi