Hayes 2 Margate 4

MARGATE warmed-up for Saturday's FA Umbro Trophy quarter-final tie against Morecambe last night with a fine Nationwide Conference victory away to Hayes.

But the victory was marred by the loss of skipper Graham Porter, who suffered a bad cut over his eye following a second-half clash of heads.

The Gate had lost their last four away Conference matches, but they led 3-0 inside half-an-hour against Hayes, who they had already beaten twice this season. Terry McFlynn fired home the opener from 25 yards after 15 minutes and three minutes later Paul Lamb's corner was headed home by the unmarked Mark Munday.

McFlynn then made it 3-0 when his corner was helped in by home defender Dominic Sterling, but Hayes responded just before the break when Mark Molesley beat Lee Turner all ends up from 30 yards.

Margate's repsonse was swift and with the first half in stoppage time, Jay Saunders lobbed the ball forward and Akpo Sodje ran on unchallenged from deep before slotting home his third goal in as many games.

Kevin Warner gave Hayes a brief glimmer of hope when he volleyed home from 25 yards seven minutes after the restart, but Margate simply closed the game down and substitute Steve Hafner might have extended their lead just before the end.