Margate boss Andy Drury insists he will not be treating match against Ramsgate for Isle of Thanet Cup lightly

Margate boss Andy Drury insists he will not be treating their match against Ramsgate as a friendly - and hopes his players don’t either.

Margate will host Ramsgate in the Isle of Thanet Cup on Saturday before trips to Isthmian South East sides Chatham next Tuesday night and Sittingbourne next Friday, having beaten Ashford 1-0 at Homelands on Tuesday through recent signing a Montrell Deslandes effort.

“It’s not a friendly on Saturday, it’s for a cup,” Drury said.

“Even though it’s pre-season, it’s an important match for the fans.

"In my eyes, it’s not a friendly and I don’t want it to be seen as a friendly in my players’ eyes, either.

“I don’t think the Ramsgate players and management will be treating it like a friendly.”

Drury’s men had started pre-season with three wins but they have now suffered back-to-back 3-1 defeats to a Fulham XI and Tonbridge.

On the loss to Angels at the weekend, as former manager Jay Saunders returned to Hartsdown Park, Drury reflected ahead of the Ashford match: “I think we were not as good as we have been.

“We were a bit sloppy at times and I said in my post-match interview that we gave them a bit too much respect. Ultimately, I don’t think we were as good as we have been.

“But we still have four games left of pre-season to get it right.”

Margate are building-up to their Isthmian Premier opener on August 13 and Drury was eager to emphasise he didn’t want to see his players showing opponents too much respect when the competitive action starts.

He said: “No, definitely not, especially not at home. I said that to the lads.

"No-one comes to our patch and is just given too much respect from us. People have to earn it.”

Drury is also urging Margate’s players to use their remaining pre-season