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Margate manager Steve Watt looks ahead to Bostik Premier game at Leiston

Manager Steve Watt admits he has some tough calls to make ahead of Margate's Bostik Premier clash at Leiston on Tuesday.

Watt's side are absolutely flying at the moment after moving up to second on the back of an 11-game unbeaten run which includes seven successive victories.

The latest was Saturday's 2-0 home win over bottom club Burgess Hill Town, a result achieved with the same starting XI which had won 1-0 at Brightlingsea a week earlier, but for the trip to 10th placed Leiston Watt has a range of options to choose from.

Margate skipper James Rogers Picture: Don Walker
Margate skipper James Rogers Picture: Don Walker

Skipper James Rogers and Jack Evans are both available after suspension while fit again defensive duo Ben Swift and Tom Mills are pushing for recalls after cameos off the bench against Burgess Hill.

Watt also revealed that midfielder Kane Haysman was unlucky to still be out of the starting line-up on Saturday after his goalscoring turn as a substitute at Brightlingsea.

The Gate boss said: "It's great to have some players back but it gives me more headaches.

"As I said to the boys before a ball was kicked this season I'll pick a team that I think will win the game.

"It might be I'll change a winning side, I'm not one to make three, four, five changes to a starting line-up, I never have been, but if it needs one or two I may look at it.

"But look it's what you want as a manager, you want a headache, but it won't be an XI headache it will be a bench headache as well because we've got two coming back (Rogers and Evans) so two who were involved against Burgess Hill will probably miss out Tuesday."

Of Haysman's continued absence from the starting line-up Watt added: "I spoke to Kane, he got the winner at Brightlingsea where he was unfortunate not to start but I felt we needed something last week and coming into this week I felt we needed the same.

"Kane's a great asset from the bench because we know he can go on and have an impact, he's got lots of energy and bags of quality."

With leaders and title favourites Billericay not playing until Wednesday a win at Leiston would take Gate top but Watt is certainly not looking that far ahead.

He added: "They (Leiston) had a fantastic result on Saturday beating Billericay (3-1). It will be a tough, tough game but we will go up there being positive and try to get another win.

"Other teams have games in hand on us but we can't worry about anyone else we just need to worry about ourselves.

"We've just got to keep concentrating on ourselves, concentrate on the game in front of us and do all we can to get another win."

The match was postponed due to a waterloogged pitch on Tuesday lunchtime. A new date will be arranged in due course.

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