Nikki Bull admits the last few months at Margate have been 'brutal' but he says there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel.

A run of 10 straight defeats has seen the Blues slip to second bottom in Vanarama National League South but off the field, Bull says the club are on a much firmer financial footing after debts estimated to be in excess of five figures were cleared.

The Gate boss explained: "I'm not going to try to mask the fact that performances have been bleak, and results shocking but when Alistair Bayliss (who is now Gate chairman) came into the club at the start of October, the big question was can we keep the club in business until January and that target has been achieved.

"We've gone through the pain, and take it from me it's been brutal at times, standing on the sidelines getting criticism from people who don't understand the situation.

"But the priority was always to make sure the club was still in business and the fact is we're at the start of a new year and we don't owe a penny to anyone, everything's been squared off.

"When you look at other clubs where the money has run out, they've often gone into oblivion but we've tried to do things the right way to make sure, that above all, the supporters still had a club to support."

Bull says he hopes there might be a loosening of the purse strings in the next few weeks which would allow him to strengthen his squad, and he didn't rule out some new faces before Saturday's home game with bottom club Bishop's Stortford, who are two points behind the Blues.

The 35-year-old - who revealed he had offered to stand down after the 3-0 home defeat to Welling on Boxing Day - stopped short of calling the fixture a must-win game, but did admit it would be 'a big blow' if his side were to slip to the foot of the table.

He added: "I'm sure our supporters will be saying it's a 'must win' game and I get that but there's still an awful long way to go and we're by no means the only club struggling."

Bull has been boosted by the news that fit-again defender Chris Sessegnon has agreed to stay at Hartsdown for another month, but former Manchester City winger Alex Henshall has left and is on trial with a League 2 club.

Midfielder Scott Donnelly came on as a late sub during the 5-1 defeat at Welling on New Year's Day, but is still troubled by the knee he had an operation on in October and is due to see his surgeon again on Monday.

Bull also revealed that there has been interest in last year's supporters' player-of-the-year Lewis Taylor, with long-time admirers Tonbridge among the clubs tracking him.