Whitstable are through to the FA Cup fourth qualifying round for the first time in their history after pulling off another upset.

They are one win away from a place in the first round proper after goals from Bradley Schafer and 38-year-old Joe Healy in a 2-0 home win over Southern League Premier South Hungerford.

It was a third successive victory over Step 3 opponents for Jamie Coyle’s Southern Counties East Premier Division side after knocking out Dulwich Hamlet and Chichester.

It was clear from the off that FA Vase holders Whitstable weren’t going to be overawed by the occasion as they competed for every ball against a big side.

There were a couple of early Ramarni Medford-Smith corners to defend and Hungerford also used the long throws of George Smith to get the ball in the box.

The Crusaders had a penalty appeal for handball waved away by referee Dan Blades in the 12th minute after a Smith long throw was flicked on by Joe Shepherd to Tyrone Duffus, whose shot was blocked in a crowded area.

Whitstable, competing in the third qualifying round for the first time since 1989, grew into the tie in an attacking sense with Schafer getting on the ball in good areas.

He had an effort blocked by Duffus after finding space on the edge of the box and, minutes later, hit the post from 20 yards after Healy, Jayden Boulton and Javaun Splatt combined.

Whitstable took a deserved lead in the 32nd minute.

The ball bounced over a Hungerford head in midfield was picked up by Fin Cotton.

He linked with Splatt before Mikey Dalton’s right-wing cross was headed home by Schafer, who’d run untracked to the back post.

Hungerford fired a warning late in the first half when Harry Williams thumped the post after a lovely turn and shot from just inside the Whitstable area.

There was a blow for Town before the break when Splatt, the two-goal hero of their first qualifying round win at Dulwich Hamlet, was forced off injured.

That said, they had a good replacement in Ashdon Day, the man who scored the winner in their second qualifying round replay success at Chichester.

Hungerford made a strong start to the second half, dominating possession and going close when Medford-Smith pulled the ball back to the unmarked Brad Hooper, who fired narrowly wide from the edge of the area.

Whitstable were struggling to get hold of the ball for a spell and when they did, they quickly gave it back.

But a break in play while Town keeper Dan Colmer received treatment allowed them to regroup and get Dean Grant on the pitch.

And Grant was to have a key part in the hosts’ second goal as Whitstable took a big step towards the fourth qualifying round.

He rose to flick a high ball into the path of Healy, who finished coolly into the bottom corner in the 72nd minute.

There was nobody Town would rather have had on the end of a chance like that than the evergreen Healy, who retains every bit of his class and composure.

It was now about managing the game for Whitstable and they were faultless, denying an increasingly desperate Hungerford a clear sight on goal.

Town might even have had a third in the last minute of normal time when Schafer showed great feet in the box to make space for a shot which was blocked by keeper Luke Cairney.

Whitstable: Colmer, Boulton, Thompson, Thomas, Wilkins (Peters 82mins), Splatt (Day 42mins), Schafer, Cotton (Grant 61mins), O’Mara, Dalton, Healy (Peck 90+5mins). Subs not used: Keeble, Abrahams, Ferreira.

Hungerford: Cairney, Angell (Kotwica 66), Medford-Smith, Smith (Rose 86mins), Berry-Hargreaves, Hooper (Monks 66mins), Williams, Duffus, McGrory, Ollis (Tooze 77mins), Shepherd. Subs not used: McDonagh, Woodcock, Passey.

Referee: Dan Blades.

Attendance: 971.