Experienced midfielder Godfrey Poku has joined Margate as manager Reece Prestedge seeks clean sheets.

Isthmian Premier Gate are without a shut-out from their first 11 matches in all competitions this season.

Prestedge has been working hard to fill the void left by Montel Agyemang, who suffered a broken tibia in last month’s 2-1 home defeat to Cheshunt. He hopes former Luton player Poku, 33, can help Margate stay more organised.

Poku has already featured in the FA Cup this term but is free to play in the FA Trophy after former club Enfield withdrew from the competition earlier this season without playing a game.

“Obviously, he’s cup-tied in the FA Cup but, in the league games, he will be quite vital,” said Prestedge, who saw Margate lose 4-1 at Canvey Island on Saturday.

“Hopefully, he can start helping us get a few clean sheets.

“He was probably one of the positives from Saturday’s game. He came on and looked like someone we really needed.”

Young striker Fyn Rutherford also got his second goal of the season in Essex.

Prestedge admitted: “Fyn has been doing really well. He has come in and made us think about the formations and tactics we’re going to use, and that side of it.

“He’s playing really well and doing what he needs to for the team.”

Other than Poku and Rutherford, few in a Margate shirt came away with much credit from the Canvey defeat.

“We just weren’t at it,” conceded Prestedge. “We started okay for the first 10 or 15 minutes.

“We sort of lost our way and they applied pressure. The only time we sort of got ourselves back into the game was at 3-0 down. By then it was too late.”

That loss came after Gate had beaten Kent rivals Folkestone 3-1 in their FA Cup Second Qualifying Round replay last Tuesday thanks to goals from defender Tyrone Sterling, player-assistant Ben Greenhalgh and striker Steve Cawley.

Asked if they had suffered a hangover from the cup exploits, Prestedge replied: “I don’t know.

“The energy levels from Tuesday to Saturday were completely different.

“Maybe we went full blast on Tuesday. But we play a lot of Tuesday-Saturday so that’s no excuse. We had too many players off their game - and you cannot do that at this level.”

Their reward for the FA Cup win at Folkestone is a Third Qualifying Round clash at Southern Premier South Chesham United this Saturday.

“We’re waiting to see if someone can give us some details about them,” admitted Prestedge.

“But we know they have lost one game out of eight so it’ll be a tough game. Hopefully, we can put a better shift in than we did on Saturday.”

The victors will pocket £5,625 and will be just one more win away from the First Round when League 1 and League 2 teams enter the competition.

Prestedge revealed: “I think we have gone one further than we have already for a little while. But we want to go as far as we can. Getting beyond this round would be a massive bonus.”

Gate’s next scheduled league fixture is also away - at Horsham on October 14 - with plenty of travelling to come soon.

“It’s just part and parcel of it,” said Prestedge. “We’ve only had four home games!

“By the time we’re back at home, we will have played about 14 games.”

Gate have been drawn at Southern Premier South Harrow in the FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round on Saturday, October 7.

Their Kent Senior Cup defence ended at the first hurdle on Tuesday, losing 2-1 at Isthmian South East Hythe, despite player-coach Phil Roberts’ goal.

Margate’s match in support of 26-year-old Agyemang against popular Sunday League side SE Dons has been rearranged to be played at Hartsdown Park on Tuesday, October 10 (kick-off 7.45pm).

Tickets will be £5 for adults and £3 for under-11s.