Alex Osborn fired a spectacular late winner to give Margate a winning start to the Vanarama National League South season at Hartsdown Park on Saturday.

The former Ebbsfleet United winger capped an excellent individual display by firing into the far corner from 20 yards in the final minute of normal time.

The goal was harsh on Bath who will probably feel they deserved a point but was just the tonic Gate needed after a week dominated by the resignation of chief executive Ryan Day, who was among the supporters celebrating victory at the end.

Osborn had earlier seen an effort well saved by Bath keeper Steve Phillips while Bath went closest to a goal early in the second half when Nick McCootie shot against the crossbar.

Gate fielded eight debutants and Bath four with Luke Moore - one of the survivors from the last campaign - named as home captain.

The game kicked off in temperatures around 23C and while there was plenty of effort chances were at a premium in the opening 10 minutes.

Margate's Michael Thalassitis had an early sight of goal but dragged wide, while Elliott Buchanan curled a free-kick well over when he had plenty of team-mates to aim for in the box.

Bath's Marvin Morgan looked their liveliest forward and Gate's debutant keeper Lewis Ward showed good judgement on 15 minutes when he raced from his area to make a sliding clearance as the big striker hared in on goal.

That brought the game to life with Morgan testing Ward again with a shot which the home keeper gathered under the crossbar, before Gate produced an excellent move which ended with Osborn's goalbound effort hitting Bath defender Dan Ball with keeper Steve Phillips struggling.

Gate's Thalassitis then spun well well on the edge of the area but fired wide with keeper Phillips at full stretch while at the other end Naby Diallo ran onto Morgan's flick but fired just wide of the far post just after the half hour.

That was the last real chance of the first half in which Gate duo Osborn and Thalassitis worked particularly hard but Buchanan, the division's top scorer last year, was given little chance to show what he could do.

Gate made a bright start to the second half, winning a couple of early corners but it was Bath who almost made the breakthrough on 55 minutes when Andy Watkins crossed low and Nick McCootie turned the ball against the crossbar from close range.

Gate replaced the hard-working Thalassitis with Marcel Barrington midway through the half but it looked like their best chance had gone when Osborn's drive from 12 yards was beaten away by Phillips.

Osborn though had other ideas and when he was teed up by Luke Moore 20 yards out he had only one thing on his mind, flashing a shot into the far corner.

Before the goal Bath's Chas Hemmings had headed over from Billy Murphy's corner and in the dying minutes sub Josh Hutchinson just failed to get in on Morgan's low cross at the far post.

Even after Osborn's winner Hemmings could have salvaged a point when he blazed over from 12 yards in time added on.

Margate: Ward, Cash, Tumwa, M Johnson, Mambo, Parry, Donnelly (sub, Fuseini 75mins), Moore, Thalassitis (sub, Barrington 62mins), Buchanan, Osborn; Subs: B Johnson, Fitzsimons, Akindayini.

Bath: Phillips, Rigg, Ball, Batten, Monthe, Hemmings, Diallo (sub, Murphy 65mins), Marshall (sub, Hutchinson 82mins), McCootie (sub, Fleetwood 75mins), Morgan, Watkins; Subs (not used): Bowman, Hunter.

Attendance: 567.