Margate 1 Telford 0

ROCKY BAPTISTE marked his debut with the goal which earned Margate's third successive win in the Nationwide Conference at Dover's Hoverspeed Stadium on Saturday.

The 30-year-old striker only signed on the Friday after his contract with Stevenage was cancelled and he needed just 29 minutes to make his mark.

Stuart Whitehead's backpass to keeper Chris Mackenzie should have been comfortably dealt with by his keeper but instead he scuffed his clearance straight to Baptiste.

The Gate man still had plenty to do but after rounding Mackenzie he fired home from an acute angle despite the best efforts of Telford defender Neil Howarth on the line.

Both Baptiste and Jean Michel Sigere went close to extending the Gate lead but in the final 20 minutes Telford began to threaten an equalsier.

Former Port Vale striker Tony Naylor went nearest, first with a far post header and then with an instinctive half-volley that was brilliantly turned aside by Gate keeper Phil Smith.

Greg Oates' block from Michael Blackwood's follow up was typical of the Gate's commitment on the day and they had to dig even deeper in the final seven minutes after the dismissal of defender Sam Sodje.

Sodje was harshly booked in the first half when he kicked the ball away having not heard the referee's whistle so when he then clattered into Naylor from behind the outcome was inevitable.