Margate3 Baptiste 2, Clarke pen 7, Sigere 20 Daggers3 Jackson 12, Moore 83, Shipp 86 (Football Conference)

THE fighting spirit that had gone absent without leave eight days ago was back for all to see as the Daggers fought back instead of rolling over on Saturday.

When the deadlock was broken after just two minutes, and doubled after seven, there must have been a few anxious faces in the visiting end of Dover's Hoverspeed Stadium who were expecting the Daggers to capitulate once again but it wasn't to be this week.

In all honesty, Margate had been lucky to go ahead when Rocky Baptiste capitalised on a mis-timed backpass from Alan Kimble. With Tony Roberts exposed, Baptiste was free to give the 'Gate the lead just 72 seconds into the game.

As is now the norm in Daggers fixtures, the obligatory penalty soon came as Danny Hill brought down Jean-Michel Sigere in the area and Adrian Clarke stepped up to send a nervous shockwave through the away contingent as he made it 2-0.

But the Daggers pulled one back five minutes later when Chris Moore's cross was nodded on by Mark Janney and Jimmy Jackson was on hand to head past Phil Smith.

Margate weren't giving up either and Sigere got on the scoresheet to restore the two goal lead as he hammered the ball into the roof of the net.

It was all Daggers in the second half, but they had to wait until the death before they got their reward when Moore converted Danny Shipp's cross from close range.

Shipp was then the hero of the hour when he claimed the equaliser after turning home Leon Braithwaite's ball into the box.

A red card for Margate's John Keister in the dying minutes failed to have any impact on the game, and although this was a game the Daggers players, fans and management would have liked to have won, they will be pleased for a point in the circumstances.

DAGGERS: Roberts, Cole, Mustafa (sub: C Piper 80min), Vickers, Kimble, Jackson (Bruce 82), Hill (L Piper 80), Janney, Shipp, Moore, Braithwaite.