Elliott Duncan has enjoyed a fine start at Margate - but assistant manager Matt Longhurst believes the striker could already have more than double the goals he’s got for the club.

Duncan was at the double against Crowborough as Gate played out a topsy-turvy 3-3 Isthmian South East draw last weekend.

It was already a second Margate brace for the 23-year-old, who is still to have a proper training session with his new team-mates since he joined from Crowborough at the start of October.

But Longhurst said: “He would say himself that he could be on 10, with the amount of chances he hasn’t taken.

“Four is a decent return for us but he could easily be on 10 goals, especially because his goals have come in just two of those games. That’s a good thing because he’s getting into the right positions.

“He has got 16 goals - 12 for Crowborough and four for us - this season. To have 16 goals in all competitions in October, it’s a very decent return.

“He’s only 23, as well, and we haven’t trained since he has been with us.”

The fact Duncan is yet to properly train with his new team-mates shows how badly time away from match action is needed for Jamie Coyle’s troops.

“That will be absolutely vital,” Longhurst said. “Once we’re able to do that, we will get stronger, and we’ll just get better and better.

“There’s one tie, which is in the Kent Senior Cup (at home against Herne Bay), on November 17. Apart from that, we have no midweek matches in November with a relatively new group. Also, we won’t need to chop and change as much.

“If we can remain unbeaten until the end of October, we have only lost once this month - which was a freak one against Merstham - we’ll be in a really strong position.”

Gate had to come from 2-0 down in dreadful conditions at Crowborough. Defender Joe Tyrie pulled one back before Duncan’s double, a goal in each half, looked to have sent Gate on their way to victory.

Margate defender Will Thomas was red-carded, though, and they had to dig deep for a point after Richie Hamill’s 82nd-minute own goal.

“We didn’t start particularly well,” reflected Longhurst.

“I say that but we should have got an early goal. Hassan Nalbant has, basically, turned down an open goal where he went around the goalie, with nobody in their goal.

“They then scored two great free-kicks, although, obviously, they were wind-assisted. We were thinking we should be 1-0 up - and found ourselves 2-0 down!

“We were kicking with the wind in the first half. In one respect, that helped but, in another, it didn’t. But we managed to get back into the game.

“Joe Tyrie got one back and Ronald [Sithole] had a shot saved, and Elliott scores on the follow-up. Elliott then scored again but Will Thomas, our centre-half, was sent-off with 20 minutes to go.

“There’s no excuse. We’ve watched it back, sped it up, slowed it down, and it’s just a terrible challenge. We went from 3-2 up and looked like we would win comfortably to 3-2 and hanging on.

“In fairness to the players - once it went to 3-3 - they really dug in to get a point.”

With Margate’s numbers depleted, particularly in defence, losing Thomas was a big blow.

Longhurst, without defenders Finn O’Mara and David Adewoju at Crowborough due to bans, said: “We only had two defenders and ended up with one being sent-off.

“We put Olu (Olumide Oluwatimilehin) back there but he came off about five minutes after we made that change. We moved Richie Hamill to centre-half and Ronald ended up at full-back.

"So, you’ve got to give the players credit.”

It means, while O’Mara and Adewoju are now back, Thomas will have a three-game suspension to serve, which starts with this Saturday’s home fixture against Eastbourne Town.

Longhurst said: “It’s literally been like that the whole time we’ve been here.

“We spoke to the players about that after Saturday. Some of them need to get fitter so they’re available more often.

“We had three missing for a wedding, as well, which cannot be helped at this level but it’s just not ideal. Will’s got a three-game ban for what he did on Saturday.

“Potentially, we might look to get him out at Southern Counties East League level for a few weeks.”

Gate have also revealed British Virgin Islands international striker Javaun Splatt is looking to gain further match minutes elsewhere in order to return to full fitness.

“He needs to get fit because he’s not been fit since the summer,” revealed Longhurst. “This international stuff, it’s great but it doesn’t give him a chance to rest. It’s not really conducive.

“Olu hasn’t really helped himself, playing summer football and David is similar. I understand it from their point of view but, from our point of view, it’s not ideal.

“If we get this weekend out the way, we should be able to send a few out.”

Midfielder Lewis Chambers took part in Gate's pre-match warm-up at Crowborough as he returns from a long-term injury.

Margate were beaten 1-0 in a midweek derby against Faversham Town at Hartsdown Park.