Caden Wilton has become Faversham’s latest youth-team prospect to be handed a first-team opportunity and manager Tommy Warrilow wants more to follow.

With right-back Tariq Ossai and Ben Gorham among those absent, defender Wilton played 90 minutes in Town’s 2-0 Southern Counties East Premier Division weekend win over Rusthall while midfielder Henry Muggeridge moved into the backline.

Another from Rhys Leader’s under-23s’ team to make a senior appearance already this term is Freddie Kemp while Jack Piper and Aaron Sanderson have also made first-team matchday squads.

Warrilow did move to bring in goalkeeper Archie Burford for a one-off game against Erith & Belvedere earlier this month, with Jacob Russell and No.2 Lewis Briggs unavailable.

But Town’s boss would much rather be picking players from within than recruiting from elsewhere.

Warrilow said: “Henry is a versatile player anyway. He filled in well.

“It was nice to give Caden his debut. It shows that Rhys is doing a good job and, for the players, it’s good to show them there’s a pathway into the first team.

“Caden had a good debut on Saturday. He didn’t over-complicate things. I’m really pleased for him.

“I’m speaking to Rhys on a weekly basis and I would rather use the under-23s in general rather than bring someone in for a one-off game.

“I had to do that the week before but that was because our No.2 (Briggs) was injured, as well, and it’s especially hard for keepers. I didn’t think it would be fair.

“But apart from that, we’ll be trying to use from within the club and that’s a good message to be sending out.”

Striker Johan Caney-Bryan gave Faversham a 12th-minute lead against Rusthall in front of a crowd of 375 at Salters Lane before in-form forward Tashi-Jay Kwayie netted for the fourth time in three fixtures.

“Obviously, the game at the weekend was the old potential banana skin,” reflected Warrilow. “But we got the result.

“We’ll just keep chalking them off. Could we have done better? Yeah. But at the same time, they didn’t really test us too much.

“They knocked the ball about well but we got to grips with it well. We probably should have got more goals.

“If we take the FA Cup replay defeat out of it - and we were always going to go out of that at some point anyway - we have started the season well.”

While the Lilywhites have played fewer league fixtures than most, they find themselves well-placed in the play-offs - but Warrilow knows there is plenty of football to play before the end of the season.

“I was listening to the interview after the Tottenham game on Sunday,” he said. “Football is going a little bit crazy where everyone is focusing so much on each result and the permutations of it. All I know is that it’s a long old season.

“You could be mid-table but have a good February, March and April, and come flying up the table.

“We’re third. I know VCD are on fire but we’re just concentrating on ourselves.

"You just don’t know what you’re going to get from week-to-week in this league. I think that shows with the results.

“Obviously, we know we’re going in the right direction.”

Next for Town is an FA Vase second qualifying round game at Combined Counties League Premier Division South Sheerwater this Saturday.

The Lilywhites’ weekend opponents are yet to find their best form this term.

But Warrilow said: “Come Saturday, we will have done our homework on them.

“I realise that they have had an indifferent start but that’s a tough league. There’s teams like AFC Whyteleafe in there.

“There’s a couple of guys that I know who live that way who I will try speaking to, as well, but we’ll just concentrate on ourselves.”

Faversham will then return to league action at Bearsted on Tuesday.

While Town did the double over them last season, Kevin Stevens’ outfit are another who are expecting to be battling it out in the upper echelons of the division.

Warrilow said: “They’re very similar to Kennington in respect of there’s a lot of loyalty in their squad.

“When I was out of work, that was my local team for a bit, so I watched them quite a bit.

“They have got a very good set-up. I think they will do well this year.

“They had a good gallop last year and I would expect them to be around the play-offs.

“But without sounding disrespectful, that’s not my focus yet.

"My focus is on Saturday.”