Margate made an excellent start to the new Ryman League Premier Division season with a 2-1 victory at Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday.

Trailing 1-0 at the break, the ‘Gate equalised through Phil Walsh on 69 minutes and then Matt Bodkin headed their last-minute winner.

A crowd of 2138 at the Gallagher Stadium saw newly-promoted Maidstone United draw 1-1 with Wealdstone. Rory Hill put the Stones in front on the stroke of half-time but Wealdstone earned a deserved point through Chris Moore’s 57th-minute strike.

Kent’s two other Ryman Premier sides both suffered four-goal defeats, Cray Wanderers went down 4-1 at Leiston, with Tommy Whitnell scoring their goal, while Thamesmead Town lost 4-0 at home to Hendon in their first ever game in the Ryman Premier.

None of the seven Kent sides in Ryman League Division 1 South managed an opening-day victory.

Goals from Jake McKenzie, Charlie Smith and Scott Heard earned Whitstable a 3-3 draw at Redhill, while Hythe Town were held 1-1 at home by Tooting & Mitcham, with Dave Cook scoring their goal from a third-minute penalty.

But it was a tale of woe for the rest. Faversham were on the wrong end of a goal fest at Walton Casuals, losing 5-3 and they also had Luke Harvey sent off in the second half. Faversham’s goals came from Matt Bourne, Matt Peacock and new signing Rhys Lawson.

Folkestone Invicta lost 3-2 at Crawley Down after leading 2-0 early in the second half through Stuart King and Jake Beecroft, while Herne Bay (v Guernsey), Ramsgate (v Leatherhead) and Sittingbourne (v Three Bridges) all lost 1-0 at home.

Erith & Belvedere made a winning start to life in Ryman 1 North, beating Redbridge 3-1 at home thanks to goals from Marvin Alebiosu, Mo Conteh and Richard Morgan.

And VCD Athletic also got off to a flier with a 5-0 success at Waltham Forest thanks to a Sherwin Stanley hat-trick and strikes from Ian Duckworth and Vences Bola.

Chatham Town also won away from home, Kalvin Morath-Gibbs scoring the only goal of the game at Ware.