KENT SENIOR CUP REPORT | Margate 1 Charlton 2

George Jones reports from Hartsdown Park

Charlton booked their place in the semi-final of the Kent Senior Cup by staging a late comeback at Margate on Wednesday evening.

The Addicks, who fell behind when Victor Adeboyejo opened the scoring on 38 minutes, looked to be heading out until substitute Mikhail Kennedy levelled the scores eight minutes from time.

And four minutes later they completed the turnaround when Karlan Ahearne-Grant converted Josh Umerah’s cross-shot from a tight angle.

The opening chance of the game saw Umerah fizz a ball across goal that home stopper Valery Pajetat did well to smother, and he then made a comfortable save from a tame, El-Hadji Ba strike.

Umerah fired off target with his left foot, having been teed up by Louis Yamfam and, on the half-hour mark, another dangerous cross – this time from Ahearne-Grant – again just missed everyone in the middle.

The hosts grabbed the lead with 38 minutes played. Adeboyejo latched onto a flick-on from Scott Donnelly and beat Dimitar Mitov to the ball to poke into the net.

An important sliding challenge from U18s left-back Jordan Zemura denied Daniel Akindayini of a shooting chance on 55 minutes and 10 minutes later Regan Charles-Cook threatened for the Addicks when he fired a fierce strike goalwards that Pajetat beat out.

Charles-Cook tested Pajetat again on 74 minutes but the stopper was again equal to it and Ahearne-Grant then volleyed straight at the goalkeeper, following a clever ball over the top from Charles-Cook.

Charlton were enjoying their best spell of the game and they levelled eight minutes from time. Ahearne-Grant did superbly to beat full-back Lewis Taylor before firing the ball across goal that substitute Kennedy diverted over the line from six yards out.

It was a well-worked leveller from the visitors and, buoyed by it, they completed the turnaround four minutes later.

Kennedy slipped in Umerah down the right and he sent a cross-cum-shot towards the far post that Ahearne-Grant steered over the line from a tight angle to ensure the Addicks’ passage into the last four.

Margate: Pajetat, Taylor, Fox, Phipps, Moore-Azille, Johnson (c), Richefond, Donnelly (Rowland 83), Adeoyejo, Akindayini, Banya.

Subs (not used): Foster, Kallmeier, Williams, Heffernan.

Goal: Adeboyejo 38

Booked: Fox 42, Taylor 57, Phipps 84

Charlton: Mitov, Barnes (c), Bowry, Dijksteel, Zemura, Ba (Kennedy 67), N’Zi (Lapslie 67), Charles-Cook, Yamfam (Carter 67), Ahearne-Grant, Umerah.

Subs (not used): Maynard-Brewer, Maloney.

Goals: Kennedy 82, Ahearne-Grant 86

Booked: Barnes 68

Referee: S Finnigan.

Att: 312