Woking 1 Margate 5

LEON BRAITHWAITE hit a hat-trick inside 17 minutes as Margate romped to their biggest away win since joining the Nationwide Conference.

The striker broke the deadlock in the third minute, nipping in after ex-Gate defender Jon Boardman’s back header had failed to find home keeper Steve Farrelly.

His second, on 13 minutes, was a header after Steve Watts had knocked a Jay Saunders centre back across goal, and four minutes later he completed his treble with a low drive from another Watts assist.

Watts himself got in on the act after 63 minutes, beating several players before firing home, and the loan signing from Leyton Orient added a second from the spot in the 73rd minute after a foul on Braithwaite by Lee Sandford.

Woking’s consolation came seven minutes from the end as substitute Ben Abbey tapped home after a header from Warren Patmore had hit both posts.

Gate are at home to Doncaster on Saturday and expect their biggest crowd of the season for the visit of the league leaders.