Hat-trick hero Joe Healy will play a key role if Whitstable are to enjoy success this season, according to manager Jamie Coyle.

Midfielder Healy, 38, rolled back the years with a treble in the Oystermen’s eye-catching 9-0 win over Combined Counties League Premier Division North Edgware & Kingsbury as they progressed to the FA Cup first qualifying round last weekend.

It was a first Whitstable start for the vastly-experienced Healy, who lists Dover, Margate, Welling and Maidstone among his old clubs.

On a surreal day, fellow attacking midfielder Bradley Schafer netted a first-half treble while defender Will Thomas, wideman Theo Osinfolarin and substitute Dean Grant were also on target.

“I first worked with Joe Healy many years ago,” said Coyle, who has managed him previously at Dartford and Welling, as well.

“Technically, he’s one of the best players I’ve played with or managed.

“He has been a heck of a signing for us.

"He’s not only there to change games, there’s a real case he can start games at this level and make a massive impact.

“He’s great with the younger players, as well, and is working hard on his fitness levels. He got another 65 minutes on Saturday.

“He will be a really important player - on and off the pitch - if we’re going to have success this season.”

Coyle’s charges were 5-0 up by half-time but, if the hapless hosts, who ended the game with nine players on the pitch, felt Whitstable would rest on their laurels, they were sorely mistaken.

Coyle said: “Where I’ve been in the game for so long, I’ve seen sides come in four or five goals to the good at half-time and, then, the second half becomes a bit of a non-event.

“But I said on Saturday at half-time that we could really push and get more goals. I’m really pleased with how the players responded.

“It wasn’t just the starting 11, we made five changes and everyone made an impact off the bench. Deano scored straight away.

“The most pleasing thing is the strength-in-depth we have - it keeps everyone on their toes - and that’s what we’ll need this season.”

The one blemish on the afternoon was a controversial red card for Mikey Dalton, dismissed to the disbelief of the Whitstable bench after some pushing and shoving off the ball, as referee Andrew Wheaton also handed Edgware & Kingsbury’s David Agyemang his marching orders.

Agyemang’s team-mate, Oliver Modeste, needlessly pushed two Whitstable players over in the area when the ball was nowhere near him for his red.

Coyle was far from happy with Dalton’s dismissal in what had been his second game this season after his return from injury.

“It’s not good at all,” Coyle admitted. “We really missed him last season when he was out where he was so influential.

“It’s so frustrating. There was no reason whatsoever for him to be red-carded.

“We have come away from home, with a great crowd, and scored nine goals and got through to the next round. It’s frustrating that we’re now having to go down an appeal route to get that red-card decision, hopefully, overturned.

“It took the gloss off things a little bit.”

Whitstable’s reward is an FA Cup first qualifying round draw against early Isthmian Premier pacesetters Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday, August 30.

Coyle said: “I played there for two seasons, didn’t I? So, I’ve got some really good memories of playing there.

“I’ve not actually been back there much since then, apart from when I was with Maidstone.

“It will be good. They have, obviously, started the season on fire.

“They’re in a great place, they’re a good team and they have got a good manager so it’ll be a great test.”

Before then though, the Oystermen will return to Southern Counties East League Premier Division action on the road at Peter Nolan’s Sutton Athletic side this weekend.

“I know Peter really well,” said Coyle. “We have helped each other out with players in the past.

“We struggled against them last season and drew with them twice so we’ll have to be at our very best to get our just rewards. We have done our homework and we have seen them once or twice already this season.

"We’ll have to be ready for a really big test, come Saturday.”

That’s followed by a Bank Holiday game with ground tenants Faversham Strike Force at The Belmont on Monday.

Coyle said: “They have got some really good individual players and they’re well-organised, as well.

“We’ll have to prepare right for the game and approach it with the same mentality and try to replicate the performance levels we showed on Saturday.”