Manager Reece Prestedge is delighted Ben Greenhalgh has committed to stay with Margate next season as his player-assistant.

After ensuring Gate maintained their Isthmian Premier status, the club revealed Prestedge and Greenhalgh, as well as first-team coach Elliot Leveson, would be staying put for their 2023/24 campaign.

While working alongside Prestedge behind the scenes, 31-year-old Greenhalgh is still a major influence on the pitch and has contributed more than 15 goals this season.

Prestedge said: “Ben’s been a big part of the last two years for Margate.

“It’s important he stays and wants to do what he’s doing.

“Me and Ben bounce ideas off each other and get on really well, so it’s nice to have that stability as well.”

Meanwhile Prestedge, 37, will also remain for what he hopes will be a first full season at the helm.

He said: “It’s just nice to have that security.

“It says ‘This is what we want to do next season’.

"We had a meeting with the board and we were all on the same page. It was nice to have that meeting.

“Hopefully, we can crack on from there.”

Margate are on a three-match losing streak in the league, the latest of which saw them suffer a 3-0 weekend defeat at Billericay, which means they’ll finish 17th.

Prestedge reflected: “If you watched the game without the goals, you would probably say it was quite an even contest.

“Second half, we were probably the better team for the majority of it.

"But we conceded some sloppy goals and it just boils down to both boxes, unfortunately.

“It’s just the time of the season as well. When you have not got much to play for - I know it sounds silly - but we can only finish 17th now.

“The last three games, we have lost all three, but we should have got some points. It’s part and parcel of the end-of-season vibe.”

Gate face mid-table Potters Bar at Hartsdown Park this Saturday in their final league fixture of the campaign.

Prestedge said on Monday: “You have got to win your home games anyway, in my opinion.

"With a Semi-Final and our last league game to come, we have got to win both of those games.

“Positionally, we cannot finish higher than we are so it’s a sticky one there. You would like to think you could finish higher but it is what it is.

“Hopefully, we can give the supporters something to shout about at the end of the season.”

Margate beat Thanet rivals Ramsgate 3-1 on Tuesday to book their place in the Kent Senior Cup Final at Gillingham's Priestfield Stadium on Wednesday, May 3, where they'll meet Chatham.

Greenhalgh, Yaser Kasim and Harvey Smith scored for Prestedge's troops, as they took advantage of an early sending-off to Rams striker Kane Rowland, before away midfielder TJ Jadama got a late consolation at Hartsdown Park in front of a crowd of almost 1,500.

Striker Phil Roberts is the only Gate player set to be sidelined for their final matches.

“Robbo is out until the end of the season now,” said Prestedge. “But everyone else is back now or at least close.

"We should have a good squad for the last two games.”

When the two teams met at Potters Bar last month, full-back Harrison Hatfull scored in Gate’s 1-0 victory.