Margate 0 Wealdstone 1

Stones put in a performance literally full of gusto on Saturday to record back-to-back competitive wins for the first time this season.

Coming off the back of their morale-boosting FA Trophy victory over Croydon Athletic Gordon Bartlett's teamed headed to the Kent coast with confident and got their rewards via Ryan Ashe's 69th minute winner.

However, it was the decision to kickoff into the strong wind at Hartsdown Park which proved to be a masterstroke by Bartlett and his skipper, James Gray.

The visitors were pinned back in their own half for long spells as Margate trid to use the elements to their advantage, yet they managed to get to grips with the situation to chalk up their third win of the season and their first in the Ryman Premier in more than a month.

"I'm happy with the three points despite not being happy with the performance," mused the manager. "We've won two competitive matches on the bounce without playing reasonably well and I'll take that."

"We set off and it was a nice sunny day but the closer we got to the coast the windier it got" added Bartlett of the weather. "By the time we had got there it was almost gale force winds.

"We decided to play against the wind in the first half and we could not get out of our own half for the first 15 minutes.

"It was a gamble but on Saturday it worked. It proved to be a good decision (to kick into the wind for the first half).

Stones keeper Luke Woods was forced into early action on Saturday, beating away James Gregory's snap-shot after seven minutes.

After Stones loan ranger Gavin James saw a tame effort saved it was Woods again who was keeping the hosts at bay, first tipping Wayne Wilson's free-kick over the bar before thwarting Margate striker Michael Power.

Wealdstone were then denied the lead by the referee. James robbed Gate stopper Scott Chalmers-Stevens of possession before firing through the hapless custodian's legs only for the match official to blow for a foul on Chalmers-Stevens as the ball trickled towards the net.

Woods then pulled off a magnificent save to deny Dan Young from close-range and the feeling was that this was to be his and Wealdstone's day.

And so it proved as Margate lost their spark in the second half and Bartlett's troops took full advantage..

Ryan Ashe profited from Dan Kerrigan's failed clearance which allowed the midfielder to calmly loft the ball over Chalmers-Stevens.