CHRIS KINNEAR won't have fortunes to spend on a new striker following Kwesi Appiah's move to Crystal Palace.

The Margate boss couldn't be happier for Appiah but he's in no position to throw silly money at a replacement.

He said: "We didn't get the fee we were hoping for.

"Palace were a little bit mean with what they were prepared to give us.

"It was nothing like the money on offer from Blackpool but once a player makes up his mind he wants to go, you have no choice.

"If the club have done all right out of the deal then hopefully there'll be a bit to invest in players but we're not talking fortunes.

"We're trying all the time to bring someone in but goalscorers are hard to find at any level.

"It's also important they fit in here, as well as being a decent player."

Gate chief executive Cliff Egan said: "Kwesi came to us and said it was his preferred club so we sat down with Palace. We rejected their first offer but they came back and we've done a deal."

Appiah's departure has come at a bad time but Kinnear maintains the club are still capable of a Ryman Premier promotion challenge.

He said: "I'd like to think he'll do well at Palace, there's no reason why he shouldn't.

"It's a pity to lose him given the run we've been on but it's a team thing here and at the moment we've lost a little cog.

"We'd got the side set up the way we wanted and Kwesi was getting on the end of the chances we were creating.

"Good luck to him. I knew we had something when we brought him in last summer but it's not just me who's helped him.

"Jake Leberl (Gate No 2), the players and the club have all helped him.

"He'd been at a lot of clubs and not done anything but Margate was the right place at the right time. We treated him well and gave him a chance to flourish."

Kinnear used Curtis Robinson and Tom Bradbrook up front in the 2-0 defeat at Leatherhead.

They could get another chance at Kingstonian tomorrow (Saturday, 3pm) if the boss doesn't land a new striker in time.

He said: "We should have won on Tuesday, even though we didn't play well, but they caught us napping.

"Curtis and Tom are very similar but, saying that, we hadn't had the chance to work on them as a pairing.

"There's still all to play for.

"Maybe people got a bit carried away after we beat Lewes 5-1."