Lewes may have been in Margate but they were a long way from Dreamland as they suffered their worst defeat on the road this season. PHOTOS

The scoreline may have been emphatic in the Gate’s favour, but with the game 0-0 at half time and play pretty even, most Lewes fans were left wondering how the result looked so one-sided at the end.

The initial indications weren’t so good as the Rooks took time to get into their stride. Curtis Robinson posed a danger with a couple of early chances and with Kwesi Appiah also training his sight on goal, Lewes struggled to make an impact.

Michael Malcolm pulled a shot wide after running across the face of goal but Margate were breaking at will. Lewes keeper Rikki Banks had to make a superb save at full stretch to keep out Appiah’s rising effort and tidied up the resulting corner from Robinson’s weak header.

Having weathered the storm, Lewes showed that there were two teams involved, with Matt Somner shooting over from a corner and Malcolm’s speculative shot from 20 yards only inches from opening the scoring.

Harry Harding ended a sustained move with a shot wide of the goal whilst Christian Nanetti had the best chance for Lewes but saw his shot saved by keeper Simon Overland from Ian Draycott’s left-sided cross.

Lewes began the second half as they had finished the second and prolonged pressure from a 47th minute corner allowed Steve Robinson to play the ball back into danger but Harry Harding blasted his effort over the bar.

The Rooks seemed quite comfortable but things were suddenly and dramatically about to change. Nic Ciardini spilled the ball towards Bodkin who had space to run into as he approached goal and despite Max Hustwick’s close attention the midfielder was able to finish strongly past Banks to give Gate a 58th minute lead.

If this goal was against the run of play, then the second Margate strike coming only a minute later was a killer. The hosts won a corner almost from the restart and Dan Starts was able to two-foot Nanetti on the left corner of the area before launching a perfect shot into the top corner which gave Banks no chance.  

Lewes fans’ desperation at the sudden change of events was lessened a little when Paul Booth’s 63rd minute penalty after Nanetti was tripped by John Beales halved the deficit.

However just as the supporters started to believe again, Margate restored their two-goal advantage when Richard Avery climbed highest in the crowded area to head home just three minutes later.

Margate’s fourth came after the defence failed to clear a throw-in which allowed Bodkin just enough space to turn it past Banks in the 76th minute for his second goal of the afternoon.

Up until this point, Margate’s prolific striker Appiah had been a thorn in the side of Lewes alongside striking partner Robinson, but had failed to add his name to the scoresheet.

Just three minutes from time, he was able to glide into the box and slot a shot under Banks for his eighth goal in five games, an incredible 34th goal of the season for the striker who was linked with a move to Blackpool a few days earlier.

Bayan Fenwick was introduced as a late sub for Lewes and he looked lively down the right wing, forcing Overland to save smartly in injury time but by then the game was over.

It was hardly the introduction new manager Simon Wormull wanted in his first game in charge but the run of good form in the autumn has been on the wane for a few weeks now and Lewes face a challenge to remain in play-off contention, not least from the likes of Margate who certainly showed their credentials at Hartsdown Park.    

Margate:

Overland, Ball, Pooley, Avery, Cloke, Beales, Bodkin (Wilson 90), Corneille (Sherlock 88), Robinson (Bradbrook 79), Appiah, Stubbs.

Subs not used: Burchell, Lamprell.

Lewes:

Banks, Kamara, Ciardini, Somner, Robinson, Hustwicki, Nanetti, Harding, Draycott (Jarrett 65), Booth (Fenwick 77), Malcolm.

Subs not used: Wormull, Hamilton.

Ref Keith Yeo

James Boyes