Whitstable Town to visit fellow in-form team Rusthall this weekend after midweek league win at Bearsted and 3-0 Kent Senior Trophy semi-final victory at Stansfeld

Two in-form sides will lock horns in a vital match on Saturday.

Jamie Coyle’s play-off chasing Southern Counties East League Premier Division Whitstable side secured a sixth successive win through Tuesday’s 2-0 victory at Bearsted.

They have also moved into the Kent Senior Trophy final and remain in the FA Vase where they have a huge home quarter-final against Whitchurch Alport to look forward to next weekend.

Before then, though, they travel to the Jockey Farm Stadium to take on a Rusthall team on a nine-game winning run.

Whitstable player-boss Coyle said: “With the depth we now have got in the squad, we could rotate things around a little bit.

“To be able to take out Mickey Dalton from the starting line-up, who has arguably been one of our best players this season, on Tuesday and to be able to rest Harvey Smith on Saturday, that was really encouraging.

“We’re in a much better place than we were at the start of the season. We’re on a good run.

“But we’re up against a really tough team that have won nine games in a row on Saturday.

“It will be on a tough pitch and we will need to be at our best to get anything.”

When the teams met at The Belmont in August, Rusthall won 3-1, although the Oystermen are now a totally different proposition.

“We have had some tough games recently,” noted Coyle. “Even Tunbridge Wells, they were unbeaten in a while when we beat them 4-0, and Bearsted were a good side.

“We’ll be coming up against another good side that has been in good form on Saturday.

“I know Rusthall have got some very good individual players. We’ll come up with a game-plan to counteract them and their threats.

“If we perform to the standards we have done, I’m sure we will be able to get a good result.”

Second-half goals by