Whitstable Town manager Lee Martin praises midfielder Mikey Berry as wins at South Park (Reigate) and Sittingbourne extend victorious league run to six fixtures

Manager Lee Martin has praised Whitstable midfielder Mikey Berry.

Berry came off the substitutes’ bench to score the winner in the Oystermen’s 2-1 victory at Isthmian South East high-fliers South Park last weekend.

The 20-year-old found himself out of Whitstable’s starting line-up, having suffered with illness last week, but he bounced back in style after forward Kane Rowland had cancelled out Park’s first-half opener.

“Mikey is a fantastic footballer,” Martin said on Berry, who helped Folkestone Invicta to last term’s Isthmian Premier title triumph under boss Jay Saunders. “I know what he is capable of.

“We just need to find a way of getting him into certain areas. He’s a great technician.

"It’s about allowing him to play within a system and just letting him find his rhythm.

“Last week, he was down to play in the cup competition [last midweek’s 4-1 Velocity Cup loss at Steyning Town]. He then ended up missing that game and training on Thursday through illness, but he didn’t sulk. He’s one that is a match-winner.

“He has bounced around from pillar to post and, now, he probably just needs to find a home.

“He did well with Jay - a great footballing man - last season. Hopefully, I can give him some gems around what out-of-possession looks like.

“But there’s no doubt about it, he can be a really big player for us on his day.”

Martin, who only took over at The Belmont in the summer, appears to have found a good blend of experience and youth in his squad in recent weeks. The fitness return of defender Mason Hunter and arrival of players such as Berry have been supplemented by the likes of Rowland and veteran forward Dean Grant.

On the roles of Rowland and Grant in the side, Martin said: “We’ve got two players that understand