Margate 4 Gravesend & N 2

MARGATE were worthy winners against fellow strugglers and old rivals Fleet who shipped four goals for the second successive away game over the festive period.

Despite losing 4-0 at Dagenham & Redbridge in the Conference on Saturday, the Fleet were in determined mood as they kept the game scoreless in the opening half, and then scored shortly after the interval.

But four Margate goals in 14 minutes in the second half meant another defeat for Andy Ford's side, which leaves them just four points above the drop zone.

Things looked so different for Gravesend three minutes into the second period when Craig Wilkins bagged his first league goal of the season with a header following a Jimmy Strouts flick.

However, Margate, who are unbeaten in three matches and have already claimed the scalp of Ford's team this season in an FA Cup qualifier, levelled in the 64th minute when Phil Collins scored with a fine shot from the edge of the box.

The home team were now in control of the game and they deservedly went ahead two minutes later when Adrian Clarke's precise free-kick to the far post was headed in by skipper Graham Porter.

It was little surprise when Margate made it 3-1 on 73 minutes as John Keister gave Gravesend goalkeeper Paul Wilkerson no chance with a free-kick from 25 yards.

The hosts completed their scoring spree five minutes later as Simon Beard tapped the ball home from close range after Collins' header had bounced off an upright and across the face of the goal.

To Gravesend's credit, they kept going although Aaron Barnett's looping header with two minutes remaining proved just a consolation strike.

Ford said: "I'm not making excuses about out injury problems, in fact I refuse to go down that road any more. There were players out there who were asked questions about their defending and they didn't come up with the answers.

"Up until now I didn't see us in the relegation mire. Now you have to be realistic because we've had eight goals scored against us in two games.

"Now we've all got to dig in together and be more professional. I'm afraid we're not street-wise at the moment and that's where the frustration comes.

"Had we defended properly against Margate we could have come away with three points. When you go 1-0 up away from home, you've got to lock up the shop and we were incapable of doing that."