After having their run of three straight wins in all competitions ended with a 0-0 home draw against Margate in the original game at The Meadow, Chesham, on the Sunday, United’s interest in the FA Trophy ended for another year with this replay defeat at Hartsdown Park.

The hosts' domination of the first half was eventually rewarded in the 35th minute when Margate left back Justin Skinner’s clearance from deep found James Pinnock who picked up possession before releasing Charlie Side down the right who cut in before sending an unstoppable drive beyond Ducks keeper Tom Vincent and into the net.

Just two minutes later it was 2-0 when a long ball forward was only partially cleared by the United defence, former Duck Rob Haworth was coming back from an offside position but Jimmy Jackson – coming in from the left – wasn’t and he took a couple of strides forward just into the box before sending a low left foot drive flying past Vincent for his first goal of the season.

The Ducks opened the second half with determination as they looked for a way back into the game but it was effectively all over as a contest in the 52nd minute when Skinner, Pinnock and Jackson combined well on the left of the box and from the resulting cross into the six-yard box, a Margate player was brought down for a penalty which Side sent just inside Vincent’s right hand post to make it 3-0.

The visitors scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute when, from a free-kick halfway inside the Margate half a yard in from the left touchline, the ball was initially headed out of the box by Dan Young but it dropped invitingly to sub Justin Gordon who hit a crisp low drive past Margate keeper Scott Chalmers-Stevens from the edge of the D for his first goal of the season.

David Figg