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Nikki Bull reveals that Brett Johnson, Luke Moore, Scott Donnelly and Aaron Tunwa played with injuries in the FA Cup tie against Biggleswade Town

Nikki Bull has revealed that several members of his squad defied medical advice to play in Saturday's 2-0 FA Cup win over Biggleswade Town at Hartsdown Park.

The Margate boss admitted his was down to the 'bare bones' until defender Brett Johnson (cheek injury), skipper Luke Moore (groin) and midfielder Scott Donnelly (knee) agreed to put their fitness on the line for the second qualifying round tie.

Donnelly scored the second goal - his first for the club since joining in the summer - and Bull explained: "It's been a really stressful 48 hours. I was running around like a madman yesterday (Friday) trying to get bodies over the line, non contract, and then we're putting all the paperwork through at two o'clock and I get told the FA Cup deadline is noon so a few of the players we thought we were going to get didn't happen.

Brett Johnson Picture: Don Walker
Brett Johnson Picture: Don Walker

"Yesterday afternoon we literally had 10 players including myself, and two of them were the under-21 boys (Mitchell Laing and Harry Phipps - who were eventually named as Gate's only substitutes). We were desperate for bodies.

"Scott Donnelly, Luke Moore and Brett Johnson should be nowhere near a football pitch today. Brett's got six stitches in his cheek and last week he was told 'you're at least a couple of weeks away' (from being able to play).

"Scott and Luke weren't even coming to the game today but at nine o'clock this morning I got a call from both of them independently and they said 'Look gaffer we're coming in and we're going to play. We know we're short, we'll do what needs doing,' along with Brett.

"Aaron Tunwa, he's got a hamstring injury, he should not have played 90 minutes but everyone understood the importance of today and as a manager I'm extremely grateful.

"What they did was huge and for me as a manager to see those lads step up to the plate and say 'I'll take the tablets, I'll get out there,' it means a lot."

Bull explained that Maidstone had been prepared to let Gate loan signing Vas Karagiannis play against Biggleswade but the paperwork was not in order.

He explained: "I spoke to Jay (Stones boss Jay Saunders) on Thursday and he was as good as gold. He said they had no problem with Vas playing but said that they had a few injuries at the moment and to give him until Friday.

"He called at about three o'clock on Friday and said 'No problem Vas can play' but when Ken (Gate secretary Ken Tomlinson) checked the paperwork Maidstone hadn't put a provision in there for him to play in the cup game so it would have needed another form before the twelve o'clock deadline and it was 4pm at the time."

Bull says the fact that Margate do not have a midweek game this week will give his injured players a chance to rest, and he is delighted to have signed former Whitehawk defender Chris Sessegnon until January 1.

The 22-year-old had been a target for another Conference South club but Bull said: "That's a huge boost. The money we're paying him until January, he probably could have got double that with the other club that wanted him but he likes the environment he's playing in, he's friendly with the boys here, and there's a good camaraderie around the place."

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