Steve Watt hopes the huge experience in Margate’s squad will make the difference in their promotion push.

Gate have given themselves a great chance of making the Bostik Premier play-offs and this situation is nothing new to many of their squad.

Tom Mills, James Rogers, Matt Bodkin and Frannie Collin were team-mates of Watt in the Maidstone team which won this division three years ago while Liam Friend and Tom Wynter have tasted promotion with Folkestone and Dover respectively in recent times.

Watt said: “That was part of the reason I brought these players to the football club.

“When you’re rebuilding a squad, like we’ve had to over the last year, it’s important you get experienced heads in and that know-how.

“That’s what I looked to bring to the football club and I’ve got Steve Brown on my shoulder, who’s one of the best coaches I’ve worked with. He’s done incredible jobs wherever he’s been, so he’s vital to us.

“These boys have been there and done it. They know what it takes to win or stay in games.

“There’s a been a lot of games this season when we’ve not been quite at our best but we’ve been able to grind out wins.

“That’s vital, particularly when you’re a side that wants to be successful.”

Margate’s home game against Kingstonian on Saturday was postponed because of the bad weather.

They drew 2-2 at Leiston on Tuesday with another away trip, to fifth-placed Hendon, to come on Saturday.

Watt said: “We set a target of a top-10 finish before the season started, with a hopefulness that we could maybe be in and around the play-offs.

“It’s testament to the players that with the runs we’ve been on, they’ve maintained a place in the top-10 quite frequently.

“Now we’re in a position where it’s in our hands to finish in the play-offs, so I can’t ask any more than that. It certainly won’t be adding any more pressure to games. We just approach them as we have done all season – to win.

“Obviously the games are more important when you’re chasing things, to maintain winning but what was more crucial was the run we went on.

“Now teams are playing catch-up on us. I’d always rather have points on the board than games in hand.

“The messages won’t change from us as a management team. We can’t deny the importance of wins now, as you get closer to the end of the season but the players know that.

“They know what this end of the season is about. We’ve got the hardest run-in of any club in our league but it makes that run we’ve been on even more crucial.

“So far this season, in the big games, we’ve shown up.”

Margate finished with nine men at Leiston but came from behind to salvage a point with a last-minute goal from Jack Evans.

Ther visitors, who led through Matt Bodkin, were pegged back by Dominic Docherty before Jake Reed gave Leiston the led with two minutes to go.

Gate had Sam Blackman and Jordan Chiedozie sent off, before Watt and Brown were ordered from the dugout, although Evans had the last word.

The result leaves Margate fourth, just one point behind new leaders Dulwich and trailing Billericay and Folkestone on goal-difference.