Isuzu FA Vase Finalists Whitstable Town face Fisher at the Belmont this evening in the semi-finals of the SCEFL play-offs. 

After playing so many games since reaching Wembley, Jamie Coyle is just relieved that his side have made it to post season and he’s been talking with KSN. 

“It’s been pleasing to get through the backlog of games that we have had and reach the play-offs,” Coyle admitted to us.  

“It was important too to finish third to get a home draw in the semi-finals which we have now tonight against Fisher. The players have been absolutely magnificent to go on the run that we have at the back end of the season with so much else at stake.  

“We’ve been making seven or eight changes to each starting eleven every forty-eight hours we have played in the last couple of weeks – it’s been unbelievable to stay unbeaten and finish the League in the form that we have.” 

“It’s been tough with regards to trying to plan minutes and the loads on the players – that has been difficult because we knew we would have a backlog at the end of the season and we have just been fortunate enough to have a much larger squad towards the end which has allowed us to. 

“Quite how we haven’t picked up a number of injuries, I am not too sure – we have tried to do everything behind the scenes to manage the load of the players, but the large squad has helped. I’ve not had to do it before as a manager – it has been difficult, but the most important aspect was to continue our momentum and form going into the play-offs and we have managed to do both!” 

“I am just so proud of the players; there are a number of the squad who were with us at the start of the season and we have added quality to that during the year, but the togetherness and the group dynamics that we have now is phenomenal and I think if we had started the season with the squad that we are ending it with, we would have given Faversham a real run for their money.” 

 Whitstable host Fisher in the Semi Final on Tuesday night with the winners playing either VCD Athletic or Punjab United for a place in the Isthmian League next season. Coyle’s side have had two tough battles with the Fish, with the most recent being a 0-0 draw at the Belmont on Easter Monday. “They are a very well organised side,” Coyle reflected.  

“They came to us last week, sat deep and I don’t think either side created too much in the game, it was a cagey affair but was another game where we had the rest five or six because of the workload, We are hoping that the rest that we’ve had – the longest rest we have had between games in the past few weeks, so we trained Monday  night and have a full squad to pick from and it’s going to be a real exciting occasion. And yes,” Coyle added smiling, “we have been practicing penalties!”