Sittingbourne manager Reece Prestedge calls for team to take game to in-form AFC Whyteleafe ahead of top-four Isthmian South East match at Woodstock

Reece Prestedge is calling for his Sittingbourne side to take the game to red-hot AFC Whyteleafe ahead of their eagerly-awaited top-four match this Saturday.

Whyteleafe find themselves in the promotion picture - alongside the Brickies - at the business end of the season.

With six fixtures left of the regular campaign, last year’s beaten play-off finalists, Sittingbourne are fourth and six points behind weekend visitors Whyteleafe in third.

The Surrey side are the division’s second-highest scorers and extended their winning streak to seven matches with last weekend’s 6-0 thrashing of Sheppey United.

“They have got a very open and expansive playing style,” said Brickies boss Prestedge, whose team can complete the double over Whyteleafe after top scorer Derek Asamoah’s quickfire double in a 2-1 triumph in January.

“But we’re at home so we have got to try and take it to them a little bit. Obviously, we have to respect them at the same time, being where they are in the table.

“They will probably think that they owe us one, as well, a little bit.”

While the Brickies will hope to overtake Whyteleafe in the standings to secure home advantage in the play-offs, they remain just three points ahead of sixth-placed Jersey Bulls, who harbour hopes of gate-crashing the top five.

But Prestedge said: “You have just got to take every game as it comes.

“You have to tick boxes and it’s good we got over the line again last Saturday because that’s the most important thing.

"We have gone back-to-back wins ahead of this weekend when, obviously, we’re playing against a team that are up there, as well.

“We’ll go into that one with a lot of belief.”

On-loan Bromley goalkeeper Rex Porter, who has already spent time with basement boys East Grinstead