Margate boss Steve Watt said the way Daniel Akindayini grabbed his chance against Truro on Saturday should be a lesson to the rest of the squad.

The 21-year-old was handed his first start since Watt succeeded Nikki Bull as boss in February and responded by grabbing both goals in the 2-1 victory at Hartsdown.

Akindayini was given his chance after the Blues were unable to extend winger Ira Jackson’s loan from Dover and Watts said the former Brighton man thoroughly deserved his success.

The Gate boss said: “Dan’s been fantastic since I’ve been here. It’s been through no fault of his own that he hasn’t started but Ira had to go back and we looked at it and felt Dan was the best option.

“He started wide right but I just asked him to tuck in and be a little more central on occasions and he took that all on board. They were two great strikes and afterwards I congratulated him.

“It’s not been an easy time for him, his game time has been limited but he’s not gone around feeling sorry for himself and when his opportunity came he made sure he took it.

“It should be a message to all the players, opportunities will come in football and when they do you have to make the most of them.”

Watt revealed that the Blues had been keen to extend Jackson’s loan deal until the end of the season but they were unable to meet Dover’s demands.

He added: “I am very grateful to Dover for allowing us to have Ira, and I would’ve loved to have had him stay but Dover’s stance was that they needed his full wages paid which I could not do.

“Had I met their demands I probably would have had to let someone else go and I didn’t want to do that.”

Saturday’s win lifted Margate off the bottom of Vanarama National League South, on goal difference, at the expense of Bishop’s Stortford and Watt admitted that had given everyone at the club a lift.

He added: “It was one of my goals, to get off the bottom, but it’s happened quicker than I thought it would which is all credit to the players. The next goal is to catch Gosport (who are third bottom eight points clear of the Gate).”

Margate travel to mid-table St Albans on Saturday but will do so without on loan striker Pape Gueye, who appears to have decided to return to Sutton.

The Blues had expected Gueye to sign an extension on Saturday but in a move described by Watt as ‘bizarre’ he left without completing the necessary paperwork.