Telford 2 Margate 0

MARGATE'S seven-match unbeaten run in the Nationwide Conference came to a disappointing end at Telford last night.

The Gate were undone by two set pieces, either side of half time and secretary Ken Tomlinson admitted that playing twice in three days had taken its toll. He said: "We had a few tired legs after the Nuneaton game on the Saturday and this was probably one game too many. We had a few half-chances, which, on another day we might have taken, but they were well organised at the back and there were few clear-cut opportunities."

Telford went ahead in the 35th minute after Gate centre-back Graham Porter had been harshly penalised for a foul on Jake Edwards.

From Kevin Jobling's free-kick Gate keeper Lee Turner started to come for the ball but then stopped allowing Mark Quayle to head home.

Margate almost equalised on 44 minutes when Iain O'Connell connected with Paul Lamb's corner but Gareth Hanmer cleared off the line at the near post and two minutes into the second half it was 2-0. Gary Fitzpatrick knocked a corner to Neil Moore 35 yards out and his shot deflected in off team-mate Jim Bentley past the unsighted Turner.

Margate suffered a further setback on the hour when midfielder Nick Roddis went off with a recurrence of his hamstring injury, making him doubtful for the rest of the season.

Margate are without a game on Saturday, but are in action on Thursday, April 18, when they face Morecambe at Hartsdown, kick-off 7.45pm.

Margate Reserves go for cup glory on Saturday when they face Thamesmead Reserves in the final of the Kent Intermediate Cup at Sittingbourne (3pm).