Hythe caretaker boss Martin Chandler met his players for the first time when they arrived to take on Ramsgate.

Chandler, the club’s under-14s manager, didn’t know if he’d even be able to get a side out for the Good Friday match at Reachfields.

The former Hythe and Folkestone midfielder took the job on Wednesday after Nick Davis departed by mutual consent following the Cannons’ relegation from Isthmian South East.

Hythe lost 4-0 as Rams clinched the title but gave a good account of themselves before tiring in the closing stages.

They cleared their heads after conceding a third-minute opener and had chances to level before Rams extended their lead after half-time.

The final two goals came in the last 10 minutes.

“It’s just been a whirlwind 48/72 hours,” said Chandler, who will be running Hythe’s new under-23 side next season.

“All of Wednesday and half of Thursday, it was getting into the group chats for the players and seeing if we could get a team.

“We’ve had a full squad but it’s been a little bit mad.

“Everyone bar one put the thumbs up to play which is credit to them.

“I was a little bit worried because you never know if the players were only here for Nick and were loyal to him.

“I don’t know the players.

“Literally the first time I met them was 11.30am this morning when they walked into the stadium.”

Chandler drew on his experience in youth-team management to address the squad after introducing himself.

He got the hardworking performance he was looking for despite a seventh successive defeat for the Cannons.

“I’m a manager for the under-14s at Hythe so I almost go into manager mode anyway,” said Chandler, who will remain in charge for the final two games of the season.

“It’s a natural thing to say ‘This is how I want to set up, this is how I want to play, you’re playing here, this is what I want you to do’ and fundamentally the first thing I said to them was you have to work hard.

Report: Hythe Town 0-4 Ramsgate

“I said if you don’t work hard, we might as well not be here, and I think they did work hard, they really did, for them not knowing me and me not knowing them.

“We didn’t give up and I said to the lads at the end I’m proud of them.

“They had a manager last week and a new manager this week.

“It’s really difficult for everybody, not knowing where everything is and where everything stands with me, but they applied themselves well.

“For how we set the game plan, I think they executed it quite well.

“The last 15 minutes, they’re tired, they’ve been chasing the ball and you’re making four or five subs but for 75 minutes they put a real shift in.

“We’ve got to go again now on Monday with a local derby at Ashford.

“We’ll go there confident and I’ve said to the lads, put in that performance again and you might get the rub of the green.”

Chandler will have a key role as under-23s boss as Hythe rebuild next season under new chairman Andy Nanda.

He already has 30 players signed up for a trial day at the end of the month and believes the future is bright at Reachfields.

“I think it’s a good time to reset,” said Chandler.

“The new chairman has his plans and the next three or four years will be really exciting.

“I know the club’s been relegated but the SCEFL is still a good league.

“It’ll be tough but with the right appointment and the mix between youth and first team, I think that’s key.

“We want to build a pathway, a good under-18 section moving into the under-23s and bridging that gap to the first team.”