Whitstable Town 2 Hungerford Town 0 match report: Goals from Bradley Schafer and Joe Healy send Oystermen through to FA Cup fourth qualifying round for the first time

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