Cureton’s late winner makes in four on the bounce

BISHOP’S STORTFORD 2 MARGATE 1
(BOSTIK LEAGUE – PREMIER DIVISION)
Jamie Cureton’s late winner saw Blues complete a fourth straight win and end Gate’s nine game unbeaten run and keep ther slim play-off hopes alive.
Cureton and joint manager Steve Smith had to shuffle the side due to injuries and included on-loan Shadrack Ogie in the starting 11 for the first time with Alfie Mason on the bench.
Margate made the better start and Tobi Sho-Silva shot over from a good position in the fifth minute as the visitors had the early edge.
Noel Leighton was also close with an angled shot and then a glancing header whilst centre back Liam Friend had a header blocked by Arthur Janata. It was Leighton who gave the Kent side the lead in the 26th minute after Janata had been unable to hold on to Ben Swift’s initial shot.
Earlier on in the proceedings Olly Miles had come off the worse after a clash of heads with a Margate player and after carrying on for a little while the young striker left the pitch at the time of the goal with what appeared to be a suspected broken nose.
Stortford had failed to make an early impression but they were level in the 34th minute with Ben Waman driving low past Kleton Perntreou’s dive and inside the far post from the edge of the box after receiving the ball from George Craddock.
Stortford had a spell of pressure after equalising and Cureton was narrowly wide six minutes from the break.
The Blues suffered another blow as the injured Mark Haines had to leave the pitch and the centre-back was replaced by Sam Robbins immediately after the interval.
In the 51st minute the Stortford veteran striker benefitted from some indecisive defending in the 51st minute whipping in an angled shot that Perntreou tipped over the bar.
However, from then until the end Margate, in a scrappy half, looked the stronger in midfield and James Rogers hit the bar from 18 yards after 57 minutes.
Leighton nearly gave his side the lead soon after and again in the 87th minute but the visitors were made to pay a minute later after the ball was headed down by substitute Luke Callander to Cureton after a move on the left and he struck a glorious volley over the keeper and into the net for his 18th league goal of the season.
STORTFORD: Arthur Janata; Ben Sampayo; Shadrack Ogie; Jack Thomas; Ryan Henshaw; Mark Haines (Sam Robbins 46); Ben Worman; George Craddock (Luke Callander 59); Jamie Cureton; Olly Miles (Alfie Mason 26); Johnville Renee.
Unused substitute: Alex Warman
MARGATE: Kleton Perntreou; Connor Dymond; Tom Mills; James Rogers; Liam Friend; Ben Swift; Jack Paxman (Jordan Ababio 59); Jordan Robins; Noel Leighton; Tobi Sho-Silva; George Brown.
Unused substitutes: Owen Kallameier, Ben Fitchett, Felix Mesquita and Isaac Bignell.
Referee: Jack Bloxham
Attendance: 344