Margate were the second team from the Nationwide Conference to visit The Hotel in the pre-season build up.

This Margate side, many people’s favorites to do well this season, were expected to give the Thurrock side a real test. Overall the game was more of a good hard workout for both sides.

It was the Thurrock side who took the early initiative, which saw them enjoy the majority of the play in the first half.  Questions were asked of the visitors defence and whilst they stood firm, on another day Thurrock could and should have scored on more than one occasion. The visitors also had a couple of good efforts of their own.

Terry Bowes, recently back from England duty, looked very sharp and was very unlucky to have his goal ruled out for offside. Had the goal stood, it would have been a fair reflection on a good solid first half performance.

The second half saw Margate change their system and they began to take control of the middle of the park. There was a competitive edge to the game and both sides worked hard to find a winning goal.

Eventually the deadlock was broken after 65 minutes, when Patmore scored from close range. Paul Gothard was desperately unlucky when he found himself caught between a defender and Patmore with the ball landing at the Margate man’s feet to fire home.

It proved to be the winning goal but Thurrock can count themselves unlucky when they too had two good chances late in the game to take what would have been a well-fought draw.

After the game Thurrock manager Colin McBride was full of praise for his sides’ performance when he said, “ I am very disappointed to have lost the game. I felt we had 75% of the play in the first half and I can’t understand why the goal was disallowed “.

He further added “ They are a good side and we had to work very hard throughout, there’s no problem with our fitness levels. We did lose our way slightly in the second half but we have played three games in five days, which could be a factor”.

When talking of the new season he affirmed what he said recently “ This is going to be a massive season for every club in the Premier Division. If the criteria were a top six finish, I feel sure many clubs would not have improved their squads as much as they have, as they would have been realistic enough to suggest that such a high placed finish would be beyond them. However, with a top 13 finish being the target, its feasible for every club to think they can achieve this, so I will repeat what I said recently that this will be a hugely competitive season with each point being a premium”.  He went on “ I am looking to bring in one more player before we start the League campaign but I am very pleased with how the new players have settled in with the rest of the squad”.