Margate manager Mark Stimson offered his best wishes to Cray Wanderers’ Yahaya Bamba after injury resulted in the abandonment of their Boxing Day match.

The Isthmian Premier game at Bromley’s Hayes Lane was in stoppage time when Bamba suffered a head injury in a collision with Gate keeper Harry Seaden. The match was abandoned around 20 minutes later with Bamba still down.

Stimson said: “We just wish him all the best. Hopefully, it’s not too serious.

“Obviously, we don’t know exactly what it is at the moment - but our thoughts go out to him. I hope that he gets a quick recovery.

“He just competed for the ball with goalkeeper Harry. I don’t think the referee gave a foul. I think he has done something to his neck, hence why he couldn’t be moved.

“We had to wait for an ambulance to come. Unfortunately, we had to take the players off the pitch and the game was abandoned.

“Your concerns are always with the player in these situations.

“You just want to make them as comfortable as possible and try to get the help in - like we did with the ambulance. That came quite quickly, which was great.

“It meant he could be left in professional hands.”

It happened in the 92nd minute and Stimson, whose side had been reduced to 10 men with defender Tyrone Sterling sent off for a second bookable offence in the second half, hopes the 0-0 scoreline will stand as the result.

He noted: “We looked like coming away with a clean sheet.

“We’ll have to see what the league make of it but I hope they can use common sense.

“It was 0-0 after more than 90 minutes with two minutes to go so, hopefully, the result stands, we can move on and chalk that one off.”

Stimson expects to have Sterling available for Friday night’s trip to Cheshunt and the New Year’s Day derby at home to Folkestone before his ban kicks in.

Gate included three new signings against Neil Smith’s Wands. Utility player Ellis Ashworth and midfielder Taner Dogan started while another midfielder, Josh Tobin, came off the bench against his old club.

“They did very well,” said Stimson. “It’s difficult at this time to get players but we have taken on three players. I was happy with them.

“Ellis has been playing regularly and I think you could see that in his sharpness. Taner hasn’t played in about three months, so he may have been off it a bit, but that’s expected. Then, young Josh came on.

“We had to get some bodies in because the squad is light at the minute, with a suspension to the captain (Sam Blackman) and young Olly Box being recalled by Dartford.

“It was important to get a few bodies into the squad.

“If we didn’t have those three, we would have had 12 players. So for them to step in, make their debuts and put in that sort of performance was very good.

“I’m looking forward to working with them.”

Stimson has been working hard to bolster his depleted squad even throughout the festive period.

He explained: “Even on Boxing Day, I was still on the phone to one of them.

“I’m just trying to get a few in to help us but, sometimes, it’s not as easy as people might think it is. We will keep working as hard as we can.

“Hopefully, the boys can keep performing the way they did against Cray Wanderers - and if we do a bit better in the final third - I’m sure we’ll pick up results.”

Stimson also praised teenage forward Fyn Rutherford for the discipline he had shown against Cray Wanderers after receiving a first-half caution.

“Fyn did really well to get through until the referee abandoned the game because he got an early yellow card,” he said. “For him to not get sent off when the referee was dishing a few cards out, that was pleasing.”

Margate’s next two league fixtures are also against struggling sides. Both they and Cheshunt sit just above the relegation zone as things stand ahead of their Friday game.

Attentions then switch to a vital Kent derby against a Folkestone side - managed by ex-Gate boss Andy Drury - who find themselves in the bottom four.

The hosts should have midfielder Blackman available for the Hartsdown Park showdown.

Stimson admitted: “We’re looking forward to the derby match.

“I’m sure there will be a great turn-out and what a way to start the new year, winning at home.

“That’s what we will be going out to do.

“Fingers crossed, we can do that.”