SCARBOROUGH crashed 3-1 at Margate in a poor Nationwide Conference game played on a poor pitch soaked by heavy rain.

Sam Sodje scored the opener when Boro's Andy Woods parried a free-kick and the'keeper was justifiably upset that there were four Margate players waiting to pick up the loose ball - and not one defender.

Sodje waltzed through a static defence to set up Jean Michel Sigere just after the break and only the introduction of Gary Cohen brought some relief for Boro when he headed in from close range.

Leon Braithwaite raced through to add a third for Margate and although Cohen had a couple of long-range efforts, the game was well beyond Russell Slade's men.

The Boro boss said: "We were too predictable and maybe I have offered contracts to too many players for next season."

Slade will reveal in a couple of days which players have been released and which have accepted offers - some of which it is understood are less than the terms the players have at the moment.

Margate: Smith, Lamb, Edwards, Sodje (Saunders 84), Porter (O'Connell 13), Oates, Leberl, Keister (McFlynn 68), Clarke, Braithwaite, Sigere.

Scarborough: Woods, Dempsey (Hotte 78), Ridler, Sillah, Price, Gilroy, Kerr, Stoker, Brassart (Cohen 53), Taylor, Fatokun.

Referee: T Kettle (Berkshire).

Attendance: 525.

Updated: 10:43 Monday, April 28, 2003