Margate suffered their fourth successive defeat in Vanarama National League South when they were beaten at home by Oxford City.

The visitors had gone eight league matches without a win, but were good value for their victory, which came courtesy of clinical finishes from Matt Whichelow, on 39 minutes, and full-back Matty Bevans, on 84.

This was the Gate's second consecutive home defeat and for the fourth match in a row they were reduced to 10 as defender Jake Goodman was sent off for wrestling Oxford substitute Marlon Jackson to the ground on 74 minutes.

Gate boss Nikki Bull was forced into one enforced change with Brett Johnson coming in for suspended centre-half Charlie Wassmer. Midfield duo Danny Green and David Hunt were both recalled with Christian Jolley and Lewis Taylor dropping to the bench.

Taylor was expected to be banned but was cleared to play as he waits to respond to an FA charge following his red card at Sutton.

Oxford's form going into the game may have been poor but they should have been ahead inside six minutes as top scorer Bradley Bubb ran onto keeper Laurie Walker's long clearance but shot early and wide of the far post.

It was another long ball over the top that produced Oxford's next chance, on 25 minutes, when Connor McDonaugh's shot from the edge of the box was well saved to his left by Gate keeper Chris Lewington.

Lewington then distinguished himself with a smart low save from Bubb's acrobatic volley, but Oxford had been threatening a goal and it came on 39 minutes when the ball dropped in the box to Whichelow whose crisp rising shot went in via the crossbar.

It was Whichelow's second goal at Hartsdown Park this season having scored for Chelmsford during the Gate's 4-1 win over the Essex side in January.

The visitors might have struck again seconds before the break when Kynan Isaac was given a clear sight of goal but shot wide with Lewington at full stretch.

Margate's first chance of the game had come on 14 minutes when Matt Johnson curled a shot just over from the edge of the box, and midway through the half Danny Green volleyed wide after a long throw from Hunt, but those efforts apart they failed to trouble keeper Laurie Walker.

Gate needed to improve in the second half and initially they did with Freddie Ladapo glancing a header wide having been a largely peripheral figure before the interval.

A long throw from Hunt induced some panic in the home defence before being cleared on the hour and minutes later the same tactic almost yielded a goal for Gate as Glenn Wilson's volley was deflected narrowly wide.

Boss Bull threw on Taylor and Moore in the final quarter but their hopes of finding an equaliser were as good as ended when Goodman saw red for bringing down Jackson.

Oxford had looked less of a threat in the second but Lewington did have to get down well to save from Darren Pond on 65 minutes and six minutes from time Bevans rubbed salt into Gate wounds by drilling home from 12 yards after bursting into the box.

The defeat saw Margate slip to 11th in the table, six points adrift of the play-offs with eight games remaining.

Margate: Lewington, Wilson, N Green, M Johnson (Moore 72mins),Goodman, B Johnson, Hunt, D Green (Jolley 84mins), Ladapo, Cundle, Wills (Taylor 67mins); Subs: Stuart, Phipps

Oxford City: Walker, Bevans, Stonehouse, Fleet, Henderson, King, Whichelow (Jackson 50mins; Lafuente 77mins), Pond, Bubb, McDonaugh (Patterson 80mins), Isaac; Subs: Santiago, Arzumendi.

Attendance: 669.