Coach Craig Coles reckons clear-the-air talks with Whitstable’s players have helped turn their form around.

The Oystermen are on a six-match winning streak, from their matches in October, ahead of a home Southern Counties East Premier Division game against Welling Town this weekend.

That six-match run came after Whitstable had ended September with a 3-0 defeat at Tunbridge Wells - with manager Marcel Nimani, No.2 Coles and the rest of their backroom staff speaking at length to their squad after that loss.

Coles said: “We spoke to the boys after the Tunbridge Wells game.

“We had quite an honest chat with them. It hadn’t been good enough - it was as simple as that. We needed a consistent spell.

“Ultimately, there were going to have to be some individuals that dragged us through that spell. Josh Oliver and Josh Williams have been superb recently.

“The big thing for us is we now need to keep this consistency.

“We have found it, we knew we would find it, eventually, but now we have got it, we have got to keep building.”

A brace by substitute Harvey Smith - a penalty he won himself and a deflected free-kick - helped Whitstable to Tuesday’s 5-2 Challenge Cup triumph over Lordswood. It was a first win over the Medway outfit since Nimani and Coles took over.

“When we brought Harvey and Liam Gillies on, it changed the game a bit,” said Coles. “Gillies did what he does best.

“With Harvey, it’s been a bit of a mixture in terms of where we have been playing him. He came in and started as a No.9 but we brought E-Man (Emmanuel Oloyede) in recently as well, so we have been experimenting with him and E-Man.

“Harvey played as a No.10 when he came on and has done well in a couple of games when he has come on.

“Physically, he’s very good but, technically, he’s such a good player as well.

“I think that helps set him aside from some others.”

With progress in the cup already virtually assured, defender Jake Mackenzie added the hosts’ fifth with a stunning stoppage-time strike from distance to mark his 250th competitive appearance.

Coles, who had seen Whitstable beat VCD 2-1 at home in the league last weekend through an Oliver penalty and Williams’ late winner, said: “I don’t know where he gets it from!

“Macca is just on another level. To be honest, he dealt with a two-versus-one at times and, to cap it off with a finish like that, that was a nice one for him.”

Lordswood twice went in front in the early stages of either half but Whitstable fought back, Tyler Anderson on target in the first period and Emmanuel Oloyede netting after the restart, too.

Smith, on dual registration from Isthmian Premier Margate, and Oloyede are helping fill the void left up front by sidelined Steadman Callender.

On their performance, Coles, without Reece Gillies in midweek, reflected: “We’re really pleased with it in the end.

“We sort of made harder work than we perhaps wanted. But the result is good, we’re through to the next round and we’re looking forward to seeing who we get.”

The Oystermen will target a seventh straight success when they host struggling Welling Town. Coles won’t underestimate them, though.

He said: “People might look at Welling Town as an easy game at the weekend. Like Marcel said last week, in this league this season, there’s no easy games.

“To have the consistent run we have done recently is credit to the boys.

“We asked them to step it up and they have done so in abundance.

“Long may it continue.”