Margate's fighting spirit pleased manager Steve Watt on Easter Monday.

Already relegated to the Ryman League, the Blues lost 1-0 at home to Ebbsfleet but pushed their promotion-chasing Kent rivals all the way - especially in the second half.

Watt said: "I was really pleased with the boys’ effort and application.

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"On Friday, against Weston, we didn’t do that and that disappointed me, especially first half.

"Since I’ve been here, we’ve been in most games barring maybe the Dartford game when we got beaten convincingly at their place. We’ve been in most games and we’ve competed.

"I reminded the players before the game that the fans have come down and backed them all season and we need to put a performance on here. I wanted us to be unbeaten here for the rest of the season - we’d gone three unbeaten before today at home and I wanted us to continue that.

"The boys did everything in their power to do that and unfortunately we couldn’t get that equalising goal."

Margate conceded inside two minutes when Sean Shields and Jack Connors combined well down the Fleet left to set up Bradley Bubb for a close-range finish.

Watt said: "We changed the shape and explained what we wanted before the game. We didn’t have that luxury to work on anything before today, which I think has cost us the points.

"We got caught cold in the first two minutes of the game and it’s a great ball in, a great bit of quality from Ebbsfleet down their left-hand side, a great run and a great finish.

"I can’t remember Valery (Pajetat) having to make a save or (Nathan) Ashmore making a save himself. We had one off the line and I thought we were unlucky not to get a penalty.

"But we didn’t create enough in the final third to get any points after going behind."