Promotion-chasing Margate are well on course to hit their initial points target for this season.

Gate extended their unbeaten Isthmian South East run to 15 matches in a 1-1 home draw against Merstham as defender Kai Garande’s goal was cancelled out late on last weekend.

Player-boss Ben Greenhalgh conceded the result felt more like a loss but, nevertheless, 11 points from five fixtures in a two-week spell represented a good return for their depleted squad.

Third-placed Gate have home games against Sevenoaks this Saturday and second-placed Sittingbourne on Tuesday, with the Thanet team firm outsiders in the title race.

“It’s still very early,” said Greenhalgh. “When you look at our points-per-game ratio, you’d probably imagine we’re going to be top of the table.

“In our heads, we’re looking to close the gap on the teams ahead of us. But Sittingbourne and Ramsgate haven’t dropped many points at all this season.

“Teams always have a blip over the course of a season and we might still need to have our one as well, although - hopefully - those draws against Merstham and Burgess Hill were our blip.

"It’s tough because Ramsgate, Sittingbourne and even Burgess Hill seem to win every week.

“But to be on 53 points already, that’s absolutely brilliant, especially when you consider, in the last two seasons, Margate have got 44 and 39 points.

“We have a target of getting to 75 points and we’re very much on target for that.”

Greenhalgh felt Margate’s match against play-off chasing Merstham - returning to action for the first time in the calendar year, having had a fixture-free New Year’s Day - proved a step too far for his side, which have been badly hit by illness.

He reflected: “You could tell we were really leggy. It was a tired performance.

“Normally, we start quite fast at Hartsdown Park, but we didn’t create as many chances as we normally do in the first half.

“We knew we needed to raise our levels at half-time because Merstham are a pretty decent side - and we did that. We just needed a little more quality in front of goal.

"Frustratingly, we showed a bit of complacency towards the end and, after a couple of deflections and bad bounces for us, the ball ended up in the back of the net. It did feel like a loss.

“But we played four games in 10 days and took eight points from that period, playing some tough games, which is a good return.”

For young left-back Garande, it was a second goal in as many games, having netted his first this term after his manager struck during their 2-1 victory at Herne Bay on New Year’s Day.

Greenhalgh said: “Kai does well for us because of the system we play. It suits him down to a tee.

“There were not too many players with his energy on Saturday.

“But Saturday’s goal came from more of where we want him to be in terms of getting into the box.

“He fits into our team really well.”

While Marcel Nimani’s Sevenoaks side sit mid-table in 11th, they have players who are more than capable of testing Margate’s backline.

“They’re a good, attacking team,” said Greenhalgh, whose team are still yet to be defeated at home in the league.

“They have got players who are scoring goals.

“They will definitely want to score goals against us - but we just need to focus on ourselves. We have got two home games coming up.

“But against Sevenoaks, we will try to take the game to them and, even against Sittingbourne, we will look to take the game to them.

“So far, no one has really looked like they’re going to beat us at home.”

Gate’s last three games have also seen teenager Reece Hobbs replace No.1 Tom Wray (illness) between the sticks.

“Reece had only played in the Kent Senior Cup and Velocity Cup games previously due to Tom’s form,” said Greenhalgh, who described Hobbs as one of the best No.2 keepers in the division.

“But Reece came straight in at East Grinstead - and got a clean sheet - and he’s stepped up, especially against Herne Bay in a local derby.

“I feel a bit sorry for him that he didn’t get a clean sheet on Saturday. But playing in those games will have done wonders for his confidence.

“Hopefully, he has the confidence to push Tom even more.”