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Whitstable Town assistant manager Matt Longhurst hoping side can transfer cup form into league after away victories at Walsham Le Willows and Faversham Town ahead of visit of Sutton Athletic

Assistant manager Matt Longhurst is hopeful play-off chasing Whitstable can begin to transfer their fine cup form into the league - starting on Saturday.

Jamie Coyle’s Oystermen progressed to the Kent Senior Trophy semi-finals with a 3-1 victory at Faversham on Tuesday, having won on penalties at Walsham Le Willows to make the last-16 of the FA Vase last weekend.

Hero of the day keeper Dan Colmer celebrates with fans after Whitstable’s penalty shoot-out win over Walsham Le Willows in the FA Vase fourth round last weekend. Picture: Les Biggs
Hero of the day keeper Dan Colmer celebrates with fans after Whitstable’s penalty shoot-out win over Walsham Le Willows in the FA Vase fourth round last weekend. Picture: Les Biggs

Whitstable will return to Southern Counties East League Premier Division action as they host Sutton Athletic this weekend.

Longhurst said: “It’s showing in the cup competitions where we’re doing well that, on our day, we’re as good as the other teams [in the league].

“But we have got to put some consistency together in the league. That’s the tougher thing.

“We know that and we have made the players fully aware of it, but nights like Tuesday put us into a good position.

“We’re into the next round in the Vase, the semi-finals of the Trophy and the dressing room is good.”

Ronald Sithole celebrates his goal in Tuesday’s Kent Senior Trophy quarter-final triumph for Whitstable at Faversham. Picture: Les Biggs
Ronald Sithole celebrates his goal in Tuesday’s Kent Senior Trophy quarter-final triumph for Whitstable at Faversham. Picture: Les Biggs

Sutton Athletic, on an eight-match unbeaten run, will also harbour hopes of a top-five finish if they can maintain their fine form. They are a point behind the Oystermen but with a game in hand.

“Sutton will be young and energetic,” said Longhurst. “There’s no easy games and that’s why they’re three teams from our league still in the Vase.

“It’s so competitive and so difficult to play in.

“We’ve just said to the players that we seem to get ourselves up for these games in the cup competitions but we need to make sure we’re just as motivated for Saturday.

“It’s a really tough league because everybody can beat everybody. Faversham saw that last year where they didn’t quite get promoted.

Josh Oliver celebrates his winning penalty. Picture: Les Biggs
Josh Oliver celebrates his winning penalty. Picture: Les Biggs

“Obviously, we’re finding the exact same thing out this year. Some of us are new to the league, some aren’t, and I think that’s where our learning is taking place.

“We have got 18 league games left and we need to win as many as we possibly can to give ourselves a chance of being in and around the play-offs.”

Two-goal Harvey Smith led the way in midweek, getting his second through a penalty after opening the scoring, while fellow forward Ronald Sithole also struck in the second half.

Longhurst reflected: “We’re very pleased.

“I thought, for the first 10 or 12 minutes, they were much better than us. Regardless of what team they put out, they have got a strong team and a strong squad.

Whitstable celebrate in Suffolk. Picture: Mark Bullimore Photography
Whitstable celebrate in Suffolk. Picture: Mark Bullimore Photography

“They started better than us but then we got to grips with how we wanted to play. Obviously, we have played them twice this season and we played them recently - and they were the better team - although we went 2-0 up, and they beat us 4-3.

"We didn’t quite carry out what we wanted to carry out last time, which was a bit frustrating.

“We came in a little bit earlier on Tuesday, having just had the game on Saturday, and managed to freshen the team up slightly because of the boys that couldn’t play on Saturday.

“I thought, for 70 per cent of the game, we were the better team.

“We created the better chances but it’s a tough game. We’ve had to work extremely hard.

Harvey Smith nets the first of his two goals at Salters Lane. Picture: Les Biggs
Harvey Smith nets the first of his two goals at Salters Lane. Picture: Les Biggs

“We have beaten VCD and Faversham in this competition to get through to the semi-finals. We’ve had a really difficult route to the semi-finals so we need to make sure that we go and finish the job."

Smith is on 13 goals this term. He also netted in last midweek’s 3-2 defeat to Hollands & Blair - but hadn’t scored since November 9 before then.

“Harvey is a little bit of an enigma,” said Longhurst. “He’s got a fantastic personality and a great way of playing.

“He’s one of those where you need to manage his character correctly. It’s testament to the manager and the other staff that we’re getting the best out of Harvey this year.

"He had a little dip in performance and form but he’s only a young player. He’s 21 so that’s probably to be expected.

“Plus, we have moved him in and around the front three where he has played in a number of different positions due to unavailability.

“But over the course of the season, he’s been a threat and he got his goals on Tuesday, which is pleasing. I felt Harvey and Dean Grant were good, and Ronald Sithole was outstanding.

“He’s only just got himself in the team, but he was brilliant.”

That came after goalkeeper Dan Colmer impressed in Whitstable’s FA Vase victory in Suffolk. He saved three penalties in the shoot-out, which the Oystermen won 3-2, after Sithole’s second-half strike had been cancelled out late on in a 1-1 draw.

Longhurst said: “Dan was fantastic on Saturday, as were all the players.

“We had a thin-on-the-ground group and we then made some changes on Tuesday, but there’s still one or two players away.

“Will Thomas was literally just getting through those last few minutes where he’s struggling.

“But we managed to patch him up and get him out there on Tuesday. Fortunately - and unfortunately - he had been suspended on Saturday. That meant he had a rest because he’s really struggling with his groin.

“Jayden Boulton was cup-tied on Tuesday and Ashdon Day was unavailable due to injury so we’re trying to bring one or two players in, in certain areas of the pitch to give us a bit more strength in depth.

“But they were without Bradley Simms and had people like Tashi-Jay Kwayie on the bench, and they were still playing Johan Caney-Bryan, Dan Thompson and Ian Draycott in the team, which shows they have got a phenomenally good squad.

"So, we need to take some credit.”

Whitstable will return to FA Vase action at home to Fleet Town with a quarter-final place at stake on February 1.

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