Margate player-manager Ben Greenhalgh praises Tom Wray as goalkeeper makes save in 5-3 shoot-out win after goalless draw at Folkestone Invicta to claim Sid Burvill Trophy

The ball distribution of goalkeeper Tom Wray has been hailed as almost Football League standard by Margate boss Ben Greenhalgh.

Wray again earned plenty of plaudits as he kept a clean sheet at ambitious Isthmian Premier team Folkestone last weekend in a goalless draw before they won the Sid Burvill Trophy 5-3 on penalties, Wray saving well to thwart Invicta midfielder Dean Rance.

“Tom was superb,” Greenhalgh said. “I have had so many people singing his praises - and we have been seeing that from him in training, he has made so many shot-stopping saves.

“They didn’t cause problems from set-pieces and that’s mainly down to Tom bravely coming out. We knew what we were signing.

“His distribution is brilliant - well beyond this level, we’re talking nearly Football League level.

“Saturday was a good morale-boost.

“It was good for Tom to get the clean sheet and for the team to get the shoot-out win.”

That shoot-out at Cheriton Road came after neither side had found a breakthrough in sweltering heat inside 90 minutes.

Greenhalgh reflected: “The first half was very pleasing.

“We started the game well and battled well, we were always in the game.

“Obviously, [Evans] Kouassi was always going to cause a couple of problems - as he would in the league above - so we always knew there was an outlet there. But the first half was a very good half.

“The second half, we didn’t come out how we wanted to. But we created plenty of chances.

“We worked out that every attacking player had a chance to score.

“The positive side of that is that we’re creating chances to score goals.”

Isthmian South East Gate’s trip to Folkestone followed last Tuesday’s 3-2 victory at Southern Counties East Premier Division Corinthian through goals from midfielders