Rising Sun manager Nathan Eastwood says squad is the best he has worked with following trophy-laden season for the Herne Bay & Whitstable Sunday League club

Rising Sun manager Nathan Eastwood believes their squad is the best he has worked with as they celebrate at the end of a trophy-laden season.

Risers bounced back from not winning the Premier Division for the first time since 2013/14, when finishing second behind Monument in 2020/21, in emphatic style during their 2021/22 campaign.

They collected maximum points from their league fixtures - although some of those were forfeited by their scheduled opponents - while they won four cup competitions.

“This probably, for me, is the best changing room I have had since I’ve been at Risers,” said Eastwood, who has been with the club for more than 15 years.

“That’s credit to the boys.

"Some of the lads have stopped playing Saturdays at a good level. That certainly helps us.

“But the lads have been very committed, we have done training as and when.

“Having the disappointment last year of losing out in the league gave myself, some of the players and some of the other people at the club a kick up the backside.

“And we basically wrapped it up before Christmas.

"We certainly bounced back in style!”

Efforts from Joe Kennett and 37-goal Stuart King helped Rising Sun claim successive 2-0 victories against Crusaders and Chilham’s Sunday side to win The Fletcher Memorial Cup and The Whitstable Charity Cup Senior Section.

Liam Wellings (2) and Danny Wisker struck in their Faversham Charity Cup Senior Section 3-0 success over The Druids while a 10-1 thrashing of Crusaders gave them the Challenge Cup. King (4), Stacy Davis, Jay Hards, Wellings, John Rich, James Turner and Michael Turner were on target.

But Eastwood says a Kent Premier Sunday Cup quarter-final 2-0 loss to Ashford Genclik helped to spur them on.

He commented: “That was a