Player-boss Ben Greenhalgh has called upon Margate’s attacking players to take a leaf out of fierce rivals Ramsgate’s book as they aim to develop a ruthless streak in front of goal.

Unbeaten Gate sit on the fringes of the Isthmian South East play-off positions in sixth with four wins and four draws this season.

They were pegged back twice at home to AFC Croydon Athletic in a weekend 2-2 draw, having beaten Three Bridges 2-0 at Hartsdown Park through Greenhalgh’s brace last Tuesday.

Missed chances proved costly against AFC Croydon Athletic and, while Thanet neighbours Ramsgate have netted 20 league goals from six league fixtures this term, Gate have scored eight less - from two more league games.

“The good thing is we’re scoring goals,” said Greenhalgh, whose team will start a run of three away league games at Burgess Hill tonight.

“There’s progression there. We are scoring goals and, the majority of the time, they’re leading to wins.

“Now, we need to look for the progression again. We need to be scoring four or five goals to really kill teams off.

“If we look at our neighbours (Ramsgate), that’s something they have got used to doing. I think it’s just about asking some of the players to be a little bit more reliable.

“We have got players who will add to our numbers - like myself and Ibz (Ibrahim Olutade), who is our out-and-out striker. He will score 20 or 25 goals this season.

“We have got people like Max Walsh, Harvey Brand, Fyn Rutherford and Louie Atkins, and wingers like Jordan Ababio, Gabriel Duo and James Bessey-Saldanha, and it’s up to some of those people to step up.

“But there’s no major worries. Everyone is looking for someone that can score 30 goals in a season.

“We have got Ibz - but we do have the dynamics with our squad to add one more up there. We just need to make sure that it’s the right player.”

Greenhalgh gave Margate the lead against AFC Croydon Athletic in front of a crowd of 464.

The visitors replied before the interval, only for winger Ababio to get his second goal in three matches in first-half stoppage time.

But ex-Dover winger Brandon Pierrick struck for Athletic in the second period to earn them a point,

Greenhalgh reflected: “It was never on the cards for us to lose. It was always our game to win.

“Even when it did get to 2-2, it was us creating the chances. The disappointing thing was we had only conceded two goals at Hartsdown Park all season - and we doubled that statistic!

“With the second goal, there’s a foul on Tom Wray, but the result was more to do with us not putting our chances away. We worked it out that we think we had put in 33 crosses and had 21 shots.

“Yes, we did get two goals but, with some of the other ones (chances), there were just some that we didn’t take.

“It was a bit of a tough one to take on Saturday but, at the same time, we performed really well again.”

Greenhalgh’s latest effort already has moved him to a milestone for the season.

He said: “I managed to get my 10th goal of the season.

“That’s always something I look to get to - 10 goals as a midfielder - but, now, it’s about getting to 20.

“That’s really the mindset that I’m looking for from everybody because we’re creating so many chances.”

After Margate’s midweek trip, they will travel to rivals Sheppey this Saturday. It could prove a big afternoon for midfielder Bessey-Saldanha, who rejoined Gate from the Ites in the summer.

His sole scoring contribution this season was a double in last month’s FA Cup first qualifying round replay 3-1 win at Hayes & Yeading.

Greenhalgh said: “We know what we can get from Bessey.

“He’s had a stop-start start to the season where he’s had a lot of work commitments. That’s meant he has not been involved on some Saturdays and in some midweek games.

“I think we missed him for the Horsham away game (when Gate lost their FA Cup replay 2-0) when he turned up late. We want to get him ready and firing, especially for a game like that.

“He’s one of the players that I want to get more out of. We know what a player he can be.

“We will be looking forward to the game against Sheppey on Saturday.

“It will be quite tight in the table between us because they’ve had a good start to the season, as well.

“It’s tough when you go Saturday-to-Tuesday-to-Saturday but that’s what football is about.”

Gate are at Erith Town on Tuesday.