Margate ran out comfortable winners with goals from captain Jamie Stuart and two wonderful strikes from veteran striker Jefferson Louis which belied the Ryman Premier League table.
The home side took the lead with the first attack of the game. Ex Gillingham man Matt Bodkin’s centre from a left sided free kick found captain Jamie Stuart eight yards out and his header towards goal snuck in at the far post with which visiting keeper Jones should have done better.
Margate were taking advantage of the strong wind in their favour and left winger Bodkin was the next to go close with quarter of an hour gone, he cut in from the left, beat two defenders and struck a shot which shaved the crossbar as it went just over.
From a corner just seconds later, Bodkin’s centre again found Stuart at the near post ahead of his man but his hooked effort flew just wide.
After the fast Margate start, Lowestoft grew slowly into the game and from a corner from the right, they had legitimate shouts for a penalty when midfielder Fisk header appeared to be handled on the line by ex Ebbsfleet man Tom Phipp but the referee waved away the effervescent appeals from the Lowestoft side.
With half an hour gone, Margate should have extended their lead. Jefferson Louis did well on the right and his cross shot found strike partner Michael Wishart two yards out in the middle of the goal but the forward inexplicably hit the ball wide with what must be miss of the season.
Chances were again coming thick and fast for the home side with Sammoutis and Wishart both forcing decent stops from the Lowestoft keeper before Margate took a two goal lead on the stroke of half time.
The move started with Sammoutis picking out Bodkin with a cross field ball from the right, Bodkin fed the ball down the inside left channel to Jefferson Louis who backed in to his defender before twisting and turning before unleashing an unstoppable curling effort into the top left hand corner which no keeper in the world would have been able to save.
Into the second half and the coastal wind really picked up with home goalkeeper Nikki Bull’s kicks struggling to reach the half way line and it was from one of these which gave Lowestoft to get a goal to pull themselves back into the game.
Goram broke through the centre from a dropping ball and fed forward Reid with an opportunity to shoot. He stumbled but managed to pass in time to allow Jack Ainsley to force a good save from Bull.
Lowestoft again went close after sixty three minutes. Jarvis put Reid through on goal with just Bull to beat, the forward tried to dink the ball over the advancing keeper but Bull got a hand up to save before Charlie Allen completed the clearance.
With just fifteen minutes remaining, Jefferson Louis conjured up the moment of the game. After a Margate corner had been cleared, it was hooked back towards the area by right back nelson, Louis dispatched a thunderous volley into the top corner from twenty yards from the dropping volley for his second magnificient strike off the afternoon.
Lowestoft’s morale was gone after this third goal and cynical challenges became the norm for the rest of the game, but Margate still conjured up two more chances to add gloss to the scoreline.
Omar Beckles forcing a good save with a header from a corner with ten minutes remaining and substitute Ademeno forcing a save by the goalkeeper at his near post.
The remaining action was on the side of the pitch with coaches from both teams squaring up to each other whilst the game was going on as we entered injury time, with punches being thrown in the melee with neither team willing to comment after the game to what started the flare up.
The final whistle blew and the Margate revolution continues.
Margate: Bull, Nelson, Rents, Allen, Stuart ©, Beckles, Sammoutis, Phipp (Riviere), Louis, Wishart (Ademeno), Bodkin.
Subs not used: Artemi. Holloway, Wilson.
Lowestoft: Jones, Williams, Haynes-Brown, Fisk (Okay), Gleeson, Goram, J Ainsley, Jarvis, Reid, Henderson (Frew), Eagle (Smith).
Subs not used: S Ainsley, Jessop.
Attendance 365