Two in-form sides will lock horns in a vital match on Saturday.

Jamie Coyle’s play-off chasing Southern Counties East League Premier Division Whitstable side secured a sixth successive win through Tuesday’s 2-0 victory at Bearsted.

They have also moved into the Kent Senior Trophy final and remain in the FA Vase where they have a huge home quarter-final against Whitchurch Alport to look forward to next weekend.

Before then, though, they travel to the Jockey Farm Stadium to take on a Rusthall team on a nine-game winning league streak.

Whitstable player-boss Coyle said: “With the depth we now have got in the squad, we could rotate things around a little bit.

“To be able to take out Mickey Dalton from the starting line-up, who has arguably been one of our best players this season, on Tuesday and to be able to rest Harvey Smith on Saturday, that was really encouraging.

“We’re in a much better place than we were at the start of the season. We’re on a good run.

“But we’re up against a really tough team that have won nine games in a row on Saturday.

“It will be on a tough pitch and we will need to be at our best to get anything.”

When the teams met at The Belmont in August, Rusthall won 3-1, although the Oystermen are now an entirely different proposition.

“We have had some tough games recently,” noted Coyle. “Even Tunbridge Wells, they were unbeaten in a while when we beat them 4-0, and Bearsted were a good side.

“We’ll be coming up against another good side that has been in good form on Saturday.

“I know Rusthall have got some very good individual players. We’ll come up with a game-plan to counteract them and their threats.

“If we perform to the standards we have done, I’m sure we will be able to get a good result.”

Second-half goals by Dartford loanee Ashdon Day and fellow forward Dean Grant secured Whitstable the points at Bearsted despite Coyle battling on with a broken nose and Jerald Aboagye sustaining an injury.

“It was a really important win,” reflected Coyle. “You have got to give them credit, there’s no way they will finish where they are.

"They’re a really organised side and play through the thirds.

“They have got a really experienced manager and a good coach. In the first half, they had more possession than we did, without really threatening, but in the second half, we created so many opportunities. It should have been a lot more.

“In the last five or six weeks, we’ve been creating so many opportunities. It’s just about being more clinical.

"But we tick that one off and move on.”

Grant’s midweek goal added to his double in the 3-0 Kent Senior Trophy semi-final success at Stansfeld last weekend.

Coyle said: “He was outstanding again.

"He just occupies both centre-halves in all the games he plays. Even when he had a little spell of not scoring, he still impacted the game massively.

“It’s not only the goals he scores, he offers us another dimension. He has been huge. He’s also a great character to have around the dressing room.

“He helps the younger ones, like Ashdon, and that’s only going to benefit us in the long run.”

It means Whitstable and their fans have a final date to look forward to against Larkfield & New Hythe at Maidstone’s Gallagher Stadium on Sunday, April 13.

On the club’s supporters, Coyle said: “We kind of paid tribute to them after the game.

“They came along to Stansfeld, which is a pretty soulless place. It lacks atmosphere and you need to create your own spark.

“Giving something back to them for all the support this season, we were really pleased to be able to do that. The final in April will be a great day out and it’ll be even better if we win.

“We want to bring success to the football club and that’ll be our first opportunity to do so.”