Two goals in the last eight minutes saw Dagenham & Redbridge salvage a thoroughly deserved point from this pulsating clash.
Trailing 3-1 after 82 minutes despite a second half of non-stop pressure the Daggers stormed back to grab a point through goals from Chris Moore and Danny Shipp.
After last weeks 9-0 drubbing at home to Hereford, Dagenham found themselves looking down the barrel of another good hiding after a disastrous start.
With just 72 seconds had elapsed Rocky Baptiste put the home side ahead. Seizing on a poor back pass, Baptiste had time and space to shoot past an exposed Tony Roberts from 15 yards.
And Margate increased their lead from the penalty spot just five minutes later. Darren Watson was felled on the edge of the Dagenham penalty area and Adrian Clarke converted the penalty with a low shot down the middle.
But the visitors grabbed a lifeline after 12 minutes. Moore's left-wing cross was headed back by Mark Janney and Jimmy Jackson nodded past Phil Smith in the Margate home goal from close range.
Gate soon restored their two-goal lead, however, when live-wire Baptiste volleyed a slide rule throughball to Jean-Michel Sigere and Sigere hammered a screaming shot into the roof of the net from ten yards.
After the frantic opening 20 minutes both side had further chances to add to their score but half time arrived with no more goals.
The second half was one-way traffic as Dagenham launched relentless attacks, but were thwarted by a determined Margate defence.
Jackson hit the crossbar with a shot from 15 yards after 57 minutes but with less than ten minutes remaining Dagenham's chance seemed to have gone.
Moore revived their hopes, however, with a close-range shot from Shipp's low cross on 82 minutes and just three minutes later Shipp himself made it 3-3, this time turning in Leon Braithwaite's low cross from the right.
Dagenham mounted more pressure in the remaining time, but despite forcing two late corners, Margate survived to claim a point from a superbly entertaining game.