Margate 0 Cardiff 3

MARGATE'S dreams of more FA Cup glory were ended by a thoroughly professional performance by Second Division high-fliers Cardiff.

The Kent club were far from disgraced, however, and if striker Phil Collins had enjoyed more luck with a chance at the start of each half, their brave efforts might have enjoyed more reward.

Indeed, for the first 20 minutes of the match at Dover's Crabble ground, the underdogs from the Nationwide Conference looked the more likely to make the breakthrough in front of a disappointing crowd of under 1,400.

Taking up the challenge where they had left off in the previous round's surprise defeat of Leyton Orient, they gave the visitors an almighty scare in the 15th minute when Greg Oates' cross found John Keister unmarked in front of goal.

Keister, whose cool penalty had beaten Orient, failed to control the ball but, as it ran behind him, Collins ran in to smack a shot from 12 yards which bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Keister then blazed another chance high and wide but Margate, with defenders Bill Edwards, Graham Porter and Lee Shearer comfortably controlling Cardiff's highly-rated attack, seemed to have the edge.

Their first lapse came in the 28th minute and it was ruthlessly punished. The lively Jason Bowen was allowed time and space on the right to send a cross to the far post, where the unmarked Peter Thorne was left with an easy header to give the visitors the lead.

Suddenly, Cardiff began to fulfil their status as full-time professionals, and when Willie Boland drove in a low free-kick to make it 2-0 five minutes later Margate's resistance was finally broken.

They did come close to reviving their hopes 10 minutes into the second half when Collins met Oates' centre with a twisting header, but goalkeeper Neil Alexander leapt to push the ball over the bar.

Thereafter Cardiff simply kept the ball away from the Margate front runners, and added a third seven minutes from time when Charlie Mitten failed to hold a 20-yard shot from Andy Campbell and his fellow substitute

Leo Fortune-West, the former Gillingham striker, rolled the ball into the empty net.