The Gate Escape is on!

It was rather strange to be heading to Haringey Borough to watch a Potters Bar Town home match, but then strange would be a good description for much of this season, particularly the last few months. This was a night where, as well as the Scholars moving to North London, we had Horndean hosting at Havant & Waterlooville and Badshot Lea playing a home match at Slough Town. The one thing those three grounds have in common? A 3G pitch, rather like the one Potters Bar hope to have laid at their own Lantern Stadium before 2024 says goodbye.

For once, it wasn’t raining; indeed there was a strange yellow ball in the sky that hadn’t been seen for rather a long time. But this had been a season where Nike could have considered manufacturing their Phantom range of boots in wellington form and the laughter would have been muted, at best. Potters Bar certainly weren’t laughing. One small section of their pitch was defying even the drainage experts. It had been worked on and covered, repeatedly, but wouldn’t dry out - and no matter what the trolls on social media might stupidly suggest, none of our clubs want games called off. Moving a match from a Saturday to midweek costs money because crowds are reduced, moving it into the weeks towards the end of the season when there is little to play for costs money because a dead rubber is hardly likely to attract a neutral, and hiring someone else’s ground just to get it played…well, you know the rest. A quick look at the cover of tonight’s programme, dated March 30th, demonstrated another cost associated with a postponement.

This was the Scholars second match of the week at Coles Park, and, rather like the first, which was crucial to Horsham’s promotion hopes, this one also came with added away nail biting. Margate made the trip from Kent hoping to narrow the six point gap between themselves and Cheshunt, and with only four matches left, you had to feel that anything other than victory wouldn’t be enough- particularly with Hornchurch, Wingate and Finchley and Billericay Town to come. The hosts, of course, were unlikely to make it easy- they were on a three match losing streak but that was unusual for them, as they’d played some impressive football in the second half of this season and were full of optimism for the future, boss Max Mitchell having done a fine job since taking the role. The visiting Blues, in contrast, were four unbeaten, their best run of the season- but had they left it too late?

At three minutes to eight, as the sun set behind the storage units on White Hart Lane, the sides emerged. The Scholars were in their usual claret shirts, the visitors in a white shirt with black horizontal stripes, emblazoned with the name of sponsors ‘The Libertines.’ Gate got us underway, and behind the goal Terry and her troop of travelling troubadours provided immediate vocal support, whilst the sales of ear defenders across the Haringey area trebled.

The opening stages were scrappy, the first chance taking six minutes, a tame header from Max Jessop not troubling Harry Seaden in the Margate goal. Four minutes later the visitors had their first opportunity, Kadell Daniel testing Finn Rushton, but once more the effort was too easy for the keeper. Another attempt for the visitors quickly followed, a flowing move seeing Jeremiah Pinder play in Ben Greenhalgh for a shot which skimmed past the far post.

We reached the midway point of the first half goalless, and with little to excite us. The Scholars passed the ball around nicely in areas which caused no danger, the visitors looked to break swiftly but without ever finding a decent final ball- although the running of Daniel was testing the hosts left back, Prosper Keto, the latter seemingly talking himself into the book on twenty six minutes; the foul had been given, but it seemed to be the reaction which brought the card.

It was perhaps slightly against the run of play when the Scholars took the lead. A run down the left, Ore Bello and Darnell Goather- Braithwaite combining, the ball finding Lateef Adaja with time to control and shoot, the finish firm and true.

Potters Bar Town 1 Margate 0, Lateef Adaja, 28 minutes

It wasn’t yet a disaster for Margate, but they needed to respond. They pressed, and Sam Blackman found space to shoot, but his effort had neither power nor direction and bounced harmlessly wide. At the other end, a free kick from Goather-Braithwaite forced Seaden into a diving save and Fyn Rutherford found his way into the book. Margate pressure, a Scholars break, and a fine run from Goather- Braithwaite then saw him set up Keto at the far post, his shot blocked. The resulting corner somehow bounced across the six yard box evading everyone, and going out for a goal kick. And we entered the last five minutes of the first half, as the hosts came close to adding another, this time Bello the player thwarted.

We moved into three minutes added time, and Blackman became the next Margate player in the book, quickly followed by Harry Hudson. The referee then blew the whistle for the break, whilst both sides moaned at the officials, airing various complaints which were never likely to be addressed.

Half time: Potters Bar Town 1 Margate 0

Margate made a change. Blackman off, Mo Kamara on- attacking intent- but it was the home team straight on the attack as the second half began. Bello had been particularly influential in the closing stages of the first half, and that continued, but he should have done better when a fine run and cross from Keto eventually found him at the far post, his shot almost hitting the corner flag. A few minutes later he did do much better, forcing a reaction save from Seaden, and next Goather-Braithwaite had the chance to double the lead, doing all the hard work before firing wide.

After ten minutes when the Scholars were in the ascendency, it was Margate’s time to press. A corner was cleared for another, and from the second Hudson was sure he’d scored, but the officials confirmed the ball hadn’t crossed the line despite his vociferous protests. Lewis Knight then fired over, giving the home defence some respite, and we had thirty minutes left.

Kamara was next in the book for a late challenge on Ricky Modeste, and it was painful in more than one way. The free kick found Bello, and Bello found the net.

Potters Bar Town 2 Margate 0, Ore Bello, sixty five minutes

Two minutes later it could have been three, Goather-Braithwaite drawing a fine save from Seaden, “When the Gate go marching in,” sang the Margate Choral Society, but at this point it looked as if the Gate were more likely to be marching out of the Division. You had to feel for their support, who never stopped offering encouragement, but their time was to come.

Seventy four minutes, a quick Potters Bar free kick, another chance for Bello, another shot wide. The Scholars number eleven had been the best player on the field for forty minutes, and had his shooting matched the rest of his game he’d have had a hat trick.

And then, as if from nowhere, a lifeline for the visitors. Foul on Pinder, penalty, Steve Cawley stepped up, bottom corner, two-one.

Potters Bar Town 2 Margate 1, Steve Cawley (penalty), 78 minutes

If it was a lifeline, they grasped it with both hands. Two minutes later, somehow, it was two-two, fine work from Cawley finding Destiny Oladipo, and a composed finish. The home fans looked stunned. Their side had more than enough chances to wrap up the points, but suddenly were on the back foot as the side in white swarmed forward.

Potters Bar Town 2 Margate 2, Destiny Oladipo, 80 minutes

Then there were three minutes to go. A ball forward, and the home officials shouting for offside against Oladipo, but Greenhalgh didn’t care and didn’t stop. He saw the position of Rushton, and his shot was perfect, sailing over the keeper into the net. The fans behind the goal celebrated with wild abandon, whilst the rest of us shook our heads in disbelief!

Potters Bar Town 2 Margate 3, Ben Greenhalgh, 88 minutes

Into added time we went, and the lead was never threatened. The celebrations at the end were loud and long, but there was as much relief as joy. The great escape was still alive!

Potters Bar Town will wonder how on earth they failed to emerge victorious from that match. For seventy five minutes there was only one likely winner, and yet…it is that kind of resilience that might still get Margate out of trouble. Defensively, there were moments when they were all at sea, yet at the other end there was always enough vigour to suggest that they might get a goal. Somehow, however, they got three, and we suspect nobody in attendance saw that coming, even the most diehard bluenose!