Margate slipped into the relegation zone for the first time this season on Saturday and boss Nikki Bull admits his team are being punished for their lack of Conference South know-how.

The Gate’s 1-0 defeat at Hungerford – secured courtesy of Alan O’Brien’s 71st minute strike – was their eighth in a row and saw them slip to next-to-bottom, with only Bishop’s Stortford below them.

Not for the first time in recent weeks Bull’s side punched above their weight against a side much higher in the table but he admits their naivety at both ends of the pitch is costing them dearly.

He explained: “On Saturday we had the four best chances in the game and I don’t remember Valery Pajetat (the Margate keeper) having a real save to make but then we switched off and they score.

“It sounds harsh but I said to the boys afterwards we’ve not been unlucky we lost because we were naive and did not take our chances.

“Over the past few weeks we’ve played the teams in first, second, eighth and ninth and we’ve more than matched them but the bottom line is that we’ve got zero points.

“Saturday was the 10th game this season where we’ve been 0-0 after an hour and we’ve not got a point or a victory.

“The team could not be working any harder but we’re a bit naive at times, there’s not a lot of Conference South know-how in certain areas of the pitch.”

Bull signed former Whitehawk and Lewes player Hakeem Adelakun on dual registration from Ryman League Division 1 South side Three Bridges last week and the 25-year-old made an impressive debut at left-back against Hungerford.

However, Bull says he hopes to bring in another left-back this week so that he can push Adelakun further forward.

Chelmsford-target Daniel Akindayini may well be gone before the Gate host Welling in the first of the teams' festive double-header on Boxing Day while experienced defender Brett Johnson will need a fitness test after suffering a recurrence of his hamstring problem at Hungerford.