Margate manager Reece Prestedge expects fine margins to be the difference in Isthmian Premier this term as Gate prepare to host Lewes this weekend

Margate manager Reece Prestedge thinks the fight for Isthmian Premier survival could come down to fine margins.

Gate, 16th, started a run of three home games in a week with an impressive 2-0 derby win against Chatham Town.

But since then, they have drawn 1-1 with Hashtag United and lost 2-1 to Hastings last Tuesday, despite leading.

Prestedge said: “If we had won the game against Hastings, we would have gone 12th with two games in hand. It’s very small margins and a very tough league this year.

“The key is to win the games that you should win. But we still have the two games in hand and we just have to keep going.

“If someone had said ‘You are going to get four points from those three games’, you would probably say that’s fine.

“It’s just disappointing that we beat Chatham and didn’t finish it off when we had a really good opportunity to pull away.”

Skipper Sam Blackman put the hosts ahead on 58 minutes against Hastings, although that advantage lasted only four minutes before defender Harry Hudson scored an own goal. An 80th-minute strike from Davide Rodari earned the visitors the points.

“When you go 1-0 up at home, you have got to see the game out and manage the game better,” Prestedge added.

“The most frustrating thing about the game was that we didn’t do that.”

Gate had been due to visit Whitehawk tonight in the Velocity Cup. That match has now been rearranged for November 14, though, with Whitehawk’s FA Trophy tie against Kingstonian called off due to the weather at the weekend and rearranged for the same night.

Margate will return to action after an extended break at home to promotion-chasing Lewes this Saturday.

That’s followed by the visit of early-season strugglers Haringey on Tuesday.