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Margate manager Steve Watt reacts to home draw with Enfield Town

Manager Steve Watt described Margate's second-half display against Enfield on Saturday as totally unacceptable.

Winger Dave Martin's 12th minute goal looked like being good enough to earn the Gate a valuable win only for Enfield substitute Dernell Wynter to bundle home a last-gasp equaliser for the visitors.

It was the second Saturday running the Blues had conceded a late equaliser - they'd been held 2-2 at Met Police the previous weekend - and it is now five games without a win for the Bostik Premier play-off hopefuls.

Margate manager Steve Watt Picture: Don Walker
Margate manager Steve Watt Picture: Don Walker

Boss Watt admitted it was 'not a good afternoon' at Hartsdown for his side whose last four games have all ended in draws.

He explained: "It's something that's happened too much this season (conceding late goals). I thought the second half was completely and utterly unacceptable, I think a lot of players now need to have a look at themselves because for me that second-half performance was a performance of a team that was a bit frightened.

"I think by the end they were scared to get on the ball, we didn't keep the ball, we kept turning the ball over, we lacked any real energy. It looked to me in that second half like a team that were just waiting to concede a goal, that's unacceptable and something I won't stand for.

"This team needs to react better when it's put under pressure like that."

Watt said he had been pleased with how his side started and felt at half-time that the game was there for the taking.

He added: "We said at half-time that if we upped it another 10, 15% it could be an easy afternoon for us.

"We spoke about going out and being on the front foot, to try and get the second goal as quickly as we could and then, for whatever reason, we put on that display which is the reason for me saying it was unacceptable.

"To go out and give that type of performance isn't good enough and probably one of the smallest players on the pitch scores.

"He doesn't even head it in the goal, it comes off his chest or his stomach. They had a goal chalked off as well, let's not forget that so we'd had enough warnings which I thought would kick us into life but it didn't."

Watt says there is no absence of experience in his squad but there is a lack of leadership which was again evident against an Enfield side whose previous 17 away matches had yielded just 10 points.

The Gate boss said: "We need leaders in that area, in situations in a game like that and I think we lacked it if I'm being honest. We had no real leader out there to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, to grab people with him and to inject a bit of life into people.

"I think that's a result of this result, if you like, and the previous ones. It's very, very frustrating but we're still in the play-offs and and I still very much think it's in our own hands."

Margate remain fourth but are now just two points clear of Leiston, only out of the play-off spots on goal difference, behind Hendon.

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