Steve Watt admits he has been encouraged by the start his Margate side have made but still feels there is room for improvement.

Saturday’s impressive 5-0 win over basement club Worthing at Bognor lifted the Blues up to seventh in the Bostik Premier with 11 points from their opening six matches.

Gate have recorded four clean sheets during that period – a performance which helped make keeper Lenny Pidgeley a joint winner of the division’s Safe Hands award for August.

Manager Watt says it’s a decent enough return but both he and the players feel they have left points out on the pitch.

He added: “I’m happy with the start we’ve made, it’s a good platform but we’re all a bit disappointed, that’s the management and the players, that we haven’t got slightly more points.

“In a tight game against Tonbridge (the match on August 15 finished goalless) we were denied a winner by the crossbar and against Leiston (2-2) there was only a minute left when they got their equaliser.

“We’ve been creating chances in almost every game but in the last couple we’ve found that cutting edge, and on Saturday we were ruthless.

“I think that result had been coming and the pleasing thing was that I don’t think Lenny Pidgeley had one save to make.

"Being tight at the back was one of the areas we highlighted at the start of the season and it’s not just been the back four, although they have been outstanding, we defend as a team from one to 11.”

Striker Frannie Collin was the Gate star against Worthing, claiming a 13-minute hat-trick in the second half to claim his first league goals since netting the winner in the 1-0 victory at Thurrock on opening day.

Watt said: “I think even Frannie has been frustrated that he hadn’t scored more but with a player of his quality you know he is always going to come good.

“All three of his goals on Saturday were fantastic, a free-kick and two one-on-ones and he also had a hand in our second goal (scored by Jordan Chiedozie).”

Chiedozie’s afternoon was to end prematurely 10 minutes before the break when he reacted to a challenge from behind by Worthing debutant Daniel Akinwunmi and both men were sent off.

Watt said he thought both red cards were harsh, but did not see the point in appealing against the one handed to his striker, who will now miss the next three games including the FA Cup second qualifying round tie at Kings Langley on Saturday.

He added: “It was a really bad tackle by their No.6 and Jordan just reacted. It was just handbags really but the referee said that Jordan had raised his hands.”

Gate travel to Herne Bay for a Kent Senior Cup second round tie on Tuesday with Watt hoping to use the game to give some of his squad players pitch time.