Jordan Chiedozie grabbed his 30th goal of the season as Margate continued their Bostik Premier play-off push with victory over Lowestoft at Hartsdown.

Chiedozie's 60th minute header was his ninth goal in the last five matches and helped extend the Gate's unbeaten league run to nine games.

Steve Watt's side have not lost since the 3-1 home defeat to Folkestone Invicta on New Year's Day and have taken maximum points from the last five games keeping clean sheets in three of them.

Manager Watt was forced to make a couple of changes with Ben Swift (hamstring) and Jack Evans (sciatica) both missing through injury.

Centre-half George Essuman, signed on loan from Dover, was given his debut while Gillingham loanee Aaron Simpson was handed his second start and Lee Prescott was recalled with Sam Blackman dropping to the bench.

League leading scorer Chiedozie had an early sighter when his low shot was well saved by the outstretched left arm of Lowestoft keeper Ben Dudzinski inside three minutes.

That apart chances were pretty thin on the ground in the first half though Gate did force a number of corners.

From one the impressive Tom Wynter saw his fierce effort charged down with Frannie Collin then firing the rebound over the bar.

Lowestoft, with just one up front, threatened little but just after the half-hour they produced the best chance of the half.

Shaun Bammant was left all on his own at the far post but Gate keeper Lenny Pidgeley got out quickly to block and Harvey Hodd's follow up was then hacked clear.

Chiedozie whistled a shot over from 30 yards and Prescott saw a shot deflected over after a flowing Gate move initiated by Dave Martin, but the half finished goalless with Lowestoft's Jacek Zielonka having the last chance with a low shot that went wide of the far post.

Margate started the second half brightly with Kane Haysman just over with an acrobatic effort after Martin's free kick was only half cleared.

Lowestoft countered with Matthew Foy swapping passes with Harvey Hodd before curling a low shot just wide.

The breakthrough came on the hour when the impressive Martin stood the ball up from the byline and Chiedozie headed home from six yards.

Minutes later Gate had a scare when Travis Cole was given a free header from a corner but they managed to clear and moments later there was an incredible sequence of play at the other end.

First Chiedozie saw his angled shot bounce down off the crossbar and then, after Haysman's follow-up had suffered a similar fate Essuman and Blackman, twice, saw goalbound efforts blocked.

Gate went close again on 77 minutes when Collin's header from another Martin cross was superbly saved by Dudzinski but they saw the game out comfortably enough to stay third in the table.

Margate: Pidgeley, Simpson, Wynter, Rogers, Friend, Essuman, Haysman (May 75mins), Prescott (Blackman 65mins), Chiedozie (Bodkin 90mins), Collin, Martin; Subs (not used): Lee, Fitchett

Lowestoft: Dudzinksi, Humphries, Barker, Smith, McAuley, Cole, Hodd, Zielonka, Reed, Foy, Bammant; Subs: Machaya, Wren, Langdale, Putnins.

Attendance: 530