Margate assistant manager Matt Longhurst on striker Elliott Duncan’s superb start - but demanding more from him - as he reflects on their 3-3 draw at Crowborough Athletic

Elliott Duncan has enjoyed a fine start at Margate - but assistant manager Matt Longhurst believes the striker could already have more than double the goals he’s got for the club.

Duncan was at the double against Crowborough as Gate played out a topsy-turvy 3-3 Isthmian South East draw last weekend.

It was already a second Margate brace for the 23-year-old, who is still to have a proper training session with his new team-mates since he joined from Crowborough at the start of October.

But Longhurst said: “He would say himself that he could be on 10, with the amount of chances he hasn’t taken.

“Four is a decent return for us but he could easily be on 10 goals, especially because his goals have come in just two of those games. That’s a good thing because he’s getting into the right positions.

“He has got 16 goals - 12 for Crowborough and four for us - this season. To have 16 goals in all competitions in October, it’s a very decent return.

“He’s only 23, as well, and we haven’t trained since he has been with us.”

The fact Duncan is yet to properly train with his new team-mates shows how badly time away from match action is needed for Jamie Coyle’s troops.

“That will be absolutely vital,” Longhurst said. “Once we’re able to do that, we will get stronger, and we’ll just get better and better.

“There’s one tie, which is in the Kent Senior Cup (at home against Herne Bay), on November 17. Apart from that, we have no midweek matches in November with a relatively new group. Also, we won’t need to chop and change as much.

“If we can remain unbeaten until the end of October, we have only lost once this month - which was a freak one against Merstham - we’ll be in a really strong position.”

Gate had to come from 2-0 down in dreadful