Temporary Margate joint-boss Reece Prestedge refused to blame his troops after their Isthmian Premier derby loss on Monday at Folkestone.

The former midfielder took charge for the first time at Cheriton Road alongside skipper Ben Greenhalgh, the club having parted company with Andy Drury as Gate’s manager on Boxing Day.

But it was a real baptism of fire for Prestedge and Greenhalgh, who oversaw a 4-0 defeat in front of a bumper crowd of more than 1,000.

“I can’t fault the boys’ efforts if I’m honest,” insisted Prestedge after their third successive defeat. “They gave it their all.

“We just sort of came unstuck to be honest through four goals that were easily avoidable.

“Possibly, a bit of naivety came into it. We are a very young squad.

“If you look at Folkestone out there, they’re very experienced. On a day like today - a derby and with the pitch making it a proper non-league sort of game - we probably just needed a bit more of what they had.

• Report: Folkestone 4-0 Margate

“We will go back to the drawing board. We’ll put everything into getting ready for the next game and, hopefully, we’ll bounce straight back.”

Margate were 1-0 behind inside 70 seconds - and never properly recovered from there.

Prestedge conceded: “Any game is going to be tough when you start off like that.

“I think it’s a very poor goal to give away. It didn’t look like there was any real conviction in the goal itself but it trickled in. It’s hard to come back from that.

“When you are trying to get players up after going 1-0 down in the second minute, it’s not easy. It’s now a case of trying to pick them up and move on.”

Gate welcomed back full-back Harrison Hatfull to their side - rejoining the club after a brief spell with rivals Herne Bay - in one of four changes. Hatfull started, only to come off injured in the second period.

Ade Cole also returned to the starting line-up from suspension but fellow midfielder Sam Blackman and defender Peter Ojemen were still banned.

On Hatfull's return, Prestedge commented: “It was a bonus until, obviously, his injury.

“We’ll have to assess that and see where we’re at with him. Blacky, obviously, was suspended today and we had Pete suspended.

“Not making excuses for the all-round performance, but they’re two key players and Blacky is one of your experience players you sort of need in there but he was suspended.

“So it was always going to be tough.”

It has certainly been a busy week for Prestedge and one-time Inter Milan man Greenhalgh, now 30, following Drury’s departure.

“It’s been, obviously, a bit of a change of how we look at things and how we want to progress,” Prestedge said.

“All we are doing is trying to give it our all until we know what else is happening.”

This Saturday, 16th-placed Gate will welcome second-bottom Brightlingsea to Hartsdown Park for the first match of a new era before a Velocity Cup tie next Tuesday against Whitehawk.

Brightlingsea come into the match after a surprise 2-0 success on Monday over promotion-chasing Bishop’s Stortford.

“It’s a great result for them,” said Prestedge. “Obviously Bishop’s Stortford are up there and they’re a tough team.

“I have no doubt we’ll go into that game full of confidence and belief that we’ll come out with three points.

“We’ll be looking for a response and, hopefully, we will get it.”

And for now at least, Prestedge expects to remain at the helm with Greenhalgh.

He said: “We’ll just keep grinding, and keep working hard until we know what’s going on.

“I think the club has been quite clear in giving it to us in the meantime, just so they can gather candidates for it.”

Striker Korrey Henry recently left too.