Mike Sandmann was pleased with the result but not necessarily the performance as Margate edged past Horndean in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Blues trailed for nearly half-an-hour after Alfie Liss had given Wessex League Horndean an early lead in the first qualifying round tie at Hartsdown Park.

Even though Frannie Collin's free-kick had Margate level at the break joint boss Sandmann said the first 45 minutes simply had not been good enough.

Joe Taylor then struck twice, his second from the spot, to make it 3-1 before Jack Maloney scored a late consolation for the visitors.

Sandmann, who admitted Collin's equaliser was a huge moment in the game, explained: "As a group we were disappointed with everybody (in the first half).

"We weren't pleased, I don't think we were competing or performing as we have been performing. We did not have the same energy, we did not have the same intensity and I think that was evident in the first half.

"Certainly we spoke about that at half-time, there was a reaction and pleasingly so.

"The result puts it a little bit closer than it was but second half, apart from the last five minutes, I thought we were dominant and deserved our lead, but for us the most important thing is getting into the next round.

"They're always tough games in the FA Cup, people talk about leagues and stuff but I think they are irrelevant when you come into a competition where it's a one-off game. We're pleased we're through to the next round."

Gate gave debuts to attacking duo George Brown and Stephen Okoh, with the former being named man-of-the-match.

Sandmann said: "I was really pleased, they give us a bit of pace, they were very lively and they give us a bit of a different dimension.

"I was really pleased George got man-of-the-match and you can see he's only going to get better with us.

"It's the same with Stephen, it's his first game in four months because he's been out injured so he's only going to get better and sharper.

"He's had a couple of little knocks and he's never got himself back fully fit, he did not have a very good pre-season so that's why we've got him quite late."

Margate announced the signing of former Premier League striker Leroy Lita ahead of the game and Sandmann says he is excited to have attracted a player of such quality to Hartsdown.

He added: "He came and watched the Tonbridge game (on August 25), he made contact with the club, he wants to be a part of it.

"He trained Monday and Thursday, looked very sharp and a player of Leroy's experience is going to be good for the dressing room and good for the team.

"We just couldn't get his international clearance through in time (Lita had been playing in Thailand) otherwise he would have been involved today."