Teenager Jake Abrahams was Whitstable’s weekend matchwinner - and boss Jamie Coyle will have no qualms with giving more youngsters chances in the first team.

Attacking midfielder Abrahams, 17, scored a 90th-minute winner as the Oystermen won 2-1 at Tunbridge Wells in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division.

His late intervention came after the hosts had cancelled out a 33rd-minute goal by midfielder Bradley Schafer.

“A lot of managers talk the talk with regards to developing and progressing youngsters,” said Coyle. “For us it’s always been a target, wherever we have worked, to play the youth.

“Jake came off the bench in the FA Cup against Dulwich Hamlet. He was the first substitute at Chichester in the replay last Tuesday and got the winner on Saturday.

“We have got Ashdon Day at 19, Jack Peters is 20, Jake is 17 and the keeper, Dan Colmer, is only 23.

“Fin Cotton is 20, as well. We have got a young squad - but we don’t really look at their ages.

“It’s good for the club. There’s some really good work going on in the under-16s, under-18s and the Academy.

“We’re keen to be a part of that conveyor belt.

"We don’t want them to go to other clubs. We want to push them into our first team.

“Hopefully, there’s a few other youngsters that can come through, as well.”

While the visitors had 17 shots in comparison to Tunbridge Wells’ seven, they came up against keeper George Bentley in inspired form.

Coyle said: “We should have been completely out of sight by half-time.

“We created so many chances. Their goalie was the best player on the pitch, he pulled off some unbelievable saves.

“All the time it’s only 1-0, you’re open to one set-piece or one counter-attack. To be fair to Tunbridge Wells, they got a well-worked goal.

“We then had to push forward for a winner and it’s great one of our Academy lads came off the bench and got his first goal for the first team.”

The Oystermen will switch focus away from the league when they attempt to see off Southern League Premier South side Hungerford to reach the FA Cup fourth qualifying round for the first time in their 139-year history on Saturday.

“They’re a very strong, physical side that rely on set-pieces,” said Coyle.

“We need to be ready for that. Individually, they have got some really good players.

“If everyone does their job, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“But collectively, we need to be at seven or eight out of 10 if we’re to go as far as the club has ever gone in the competition.”

The eagerly-anticipated cup clash should attract another big crowd to The Belmont with £5,625 also up for grabs.

“The fans have been outstanding,” said Coyle. “The replay at Chichester, they turned that into a home game.

“When their loyalty is rewarded, it’s a proud moment for the fans and a proud moment for us as a team.

"It was the same at Tunbridge Wells and, hopefully, it’s the same again on Saturday.

“There’s a really good feeling around the place and it’s important to keep showcasing those performance levels to keep them coming.

“They will be absolutely key if we’re going to achieve what we want to.”

Coyle has signed attacking midfielder Chris Alhassan ahead of the game against Hungerford, with defender Finn O’Mara (thigh) coming off against Tunbridge Wells, while striker Javaun Splatt (knee) and wideman Theo Osinfolarin (hamstring) missed the match.

He said: “It was a tough week for the players.

“You kind of forget, with all the training and games they’re playing, that they’re holding down full-time jobs! That eventually takes its toll, mentally.

“It’s important we manage all the players because we don’t want to lose anyone on a long-time basis.

“But we had Connor Wilkins for the first time this season on Saturday and Bradley Schafer got through the whole game so there’s some positives, as well as some negatives.

“It’s important we manage their workloads, like we did at the back-end of last season, when we lost just once in 28 games.”

Whitstable lost 2-0 at home to Snodland on Tuesday.

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