Margate’s hopes of a 2nd League win at Hartsdown Park were blown away in eight second half minutes, as they struggled to cope with the gale and rain blowing into their faces, and the clinical finishing of Whitehawk.

Midfielder Scott Neilson led the way with a hatrick, each of which demonstrated the composure sadly lacking for Margate around the Whitehawk area, with Jordan Rose adding two to Armaud Mendy’s 5th minute opener.  The home side twice levelled during the first half through Kane Wills and Freddie Ladapo, but they had no answer once the sides turned round.

Margate’s defensive frailties were exposed in the 5th minute, as a stationary defence, appealing for an offside flag that never came, failed to react to Sam Deering’s freekick.  Danny Mills was allowed time and space to head back into the 6-yard box, where Armaud Mendy nipped in to plant a header past Nikki Bull.

The Blues were grateful for Bull’s athleticism eight minutes later when a Mills step-over in the middle of the half, allowed Jake Robinson to play a deft flick back into Mills’ run, and his shot was well saved by Bull low to his left.

Margate were playing some neat & tidy football across the field, and were making good ground down the right wing.  Solomon Taiwo lifted a shot over the bar, but the home side found an equaliser on 21.  Luke Moore’s penetrating run into the right side of the area allowed a low cross to be slid across the area, where Kane Mills made a late run to calmly slot his shot past a rooted Craig Ross.

The combination of Mills and Robinson were carving through the Margate defence to create chance after chance and, although Taiwo managed to break through and side-foot a low shot just past the left post, it was the visitors who restored their lead on 28.  Margate only half-cleared a corner, and Christian Jolley was robbed by former Tonbridge Angel, David Ijaha in the middle of the half.  Ijaha whipped a cross in to the back post, where Jordan Rose was unmarked to tap in.

Wills tested Ross with a cross/shot that the keeper did well to catch cleanly, although there was little that Ross could do about the second equaliser.  For once it was Whitehawk who failed to clear their lines effectively and, following a one-two between Jolley and Moore, Jolley fired a shot that Ross could only parry, with Ladapo the first to react to lash his shot into the roof of the net.

As the teams changed ends after the interval, Margate found themselves playing into a howling gale and driving rain.  Full credit to both sides though, they tried to play their football on the ground, but Margate had no answer to the three goals in eight minutes that took the game away from them.

The warning signs were there as Bull was forced into a save low to his left to push away Deering’s shot, but he had no answer to the precision of Whitehawk’s finishing.

On 52, a quick throw on the right saw Robinson play the ball across the Margate area.  Mills and Mendy both took air shots at the ball, but Scott Neilson was following up to plant his shot into the top left corner.

From their next attack after 55, Whitehawk again found space on the right wing for Deering to put a cross into Neilson’s path, and the Hawk’s midfielder swept a first time shot into the opposite corner.

The third goal on the hour did have a touch of fortune about it, as Deering’s corner was caught on the wind, over the heads of the players in the middle, who had unsighted Rose at the back post, and the ball deflected off the defender’s shins into the net.

Margate had two dangerous balls flash across goal, although neither Taiwo nor Robinson could reach either cross.  Meanwhile at the other end, Neilson completed his hatrick with the best of his finishes.  Ijaha won the ball in midfield with a powerful tackle, and the ball ran into the path of Neilson, who curled his shot into the top right corner.

Charlie Wassmer fired a shot over, before Margate’s best chance of the half came and went.  Wills was played in behind the Whitehawk defence and although he was one-on-one with Ross, decided to turn away from goal to find Jolley, whose deflected shot was headed clear by Rose.

In stoppage time, the Sussex side – victors last week over National side Lincoln City – should have added a seventh, but Stephane Ngamvoulou’s shot was sliced wide after Bull had saved Robinson’s tame effort.

The defeat leaves Margate 19th in National South, having lost four of their last 5 home games.

MARGATE: Nikki Bull, Glenn Wilson (Lewis Taylor 73), Nathan Green, David Hunt, Jake Goodman, Brett Johnson (Charlie Wassmer 66), Kane Wills, Solomon Taiwo, Freddie Ladapo, Christian Jolley, Luke Moore.

Subs not used: Sam Rents, Danny Green, Jamie Taylor.

Goals: Kane Wills 21, Freddie Ladapo 41.

Booking: David Hunt 66.

WHITEHAWK: Craig Ross, Nick Arnold, Chris Sessegnon, Armaud Mendy, Dean Leacock, Jordan Rose, Sam Deering, David Ijaha (Stephane Ngamvoulou 77), Jake Robinson, Danny Mills (Danny Stevens 76), Scott Neilson.

Sub not used: Jordan Hawkins.

Goals: Armaud Mendy 5, Jordan Rose 28 & 60, Scott Neilson 52, 55 & 74.

Attendance: 590
Referee: Mr Christopher Pollard
Assistants: Mr George Laslin and Mr Darren Stobart