Margate manager Steve Watt believed his side were hard done by in their 3-1 New Year's Day defeat to Folkestone Invicta at Hartsdown Park.

The Blues slipped to their third successive Bostik Premier loss of the holiday period after seeing Jordan Chiedozie's early strike cancelled out by goals from Scott Heard, Kieron McCann and Micheal Everitt.

Watt felt the pivotal moment in the game came when striker Frannie Collin was denied a penalty in the first half.

He said: "It was frustrating, I thought we started very well. We got an early goal and then Frannie Collin is clearly pushed, thrown down in the penalty area, from a cross. We don't get the penalty and 15 seconds later they score.

"I think the referee has made a very poor decision but we've still got to defend better.

"Decisions like that can change games and I think it certainly changed the course of the first half.

"We went from a game which in my opinion looked like it was going to go two, three to us to the complete opposite.

"I think it shows you how well we played in the first half. Folkestone changed their shape at half-time when they were 2-1 up to stop us but I don't think it particularly did because we still created chances.

"Frannie has hit the bar and we've had headers cleared off the line and saved but in football you sometimes go through periods when things don't go your way.

"At the moment for us they're not, a month ago we probably would have got that penalty."

Watt says the Gate are feeling the absence of defensive trio Lenny Pidgeley, Chris Sessegnon and Tom Mills, but he says that does not excuse some of their defending.

He added: "We've conceded from two set pieces and when I look at it I struggle to remember any chances they created in open play.

"I'm looking at who was the busier keeper and it was Folkestone's but we can't concede the goals we're conceding. "