Red-hot Faversham forward Tashi-Jay Kwayie has signed a long-term club contract.

Kwayie is leading the way for Tommy Warrilow’s promotion-chasing Southern Counties East League Premier Division team with 19 goals already.

He has agreed terms to stay at Salters Lane on a deal which will run until at least the end of next season after last weekend’s top-of-the-table 1-1 draw at home to leaders VCD.

“I’m delighted,” said Faversham manager Warrilow, who has previously worked alongside Kwayie at Ashford and Thamesmead Town.

“Obviously, I’ve known Tash for a long time. It was a case of not taking him for granted.

“It’s all right for others to say ‘Oh, he won’t go anywhere’ but, when he’s getting goals and playing how he has been, he’s going to get a bit of attention. Gary (Smart, Town’s chairman) was up for it.

“Tash can just relax a bit now, without dropping his levels, but he’s not that type of lad anyway.

“He had one chance on Saturday, really, where he was under a bit of pressure and just put it over the crossbar.

“With Tash, you know what you’re going to get.

“If anyone wants to pursue an interest in Tash, we won’t stand in his way, but we’ll do what’s right for us as a football club. That’s how it should be.

“I think it was important to sit down with him.”

It means Kwayie will remain with the Lilywhites next term, regardless of whether they achieve promotion or not, but Warrilow is confident he will be able to do the business in a higher division.

“The majority of the players can cope with levels,” noted Warrilow. “Like anything, at the end of the season, there will be a few out and a few in.

"But I’m never really one to have a clear-out.

“We have gradually built our squad. With the majority of our players, it’s just a case of trying to keep them happy.

“But we’re a long way off worrying about that.”

While Warrilow didn’t rule out putting more players on long-term contracts, they would have to be the right profile of player in order for them to do so.

He explained: “Potentially, if they’re the right age.

“Tash is a good age, he’s only just turned 26. Jacob Russell is on contract at 23 and people forget that he’s quite a young goalie.

“Tash was the one standing out like a sore thumb with the amount of goals he was getting and that’s why I spoke to Gary about it.

"But if anything comes along, then we might act on that.

“It was just about getting that security.”

It ended honours even between Faversham and VCD in front of a crowd of 482, the away side cancelling out midfielder Nathan Wood’s 72nd-minute goal.

Warrilow, whose side are a point behind the Vickers with one game in hand, said: “I will take a point, we just didn’t really play to the levels that we can.

“I’m not taking anything away from VCD, who were good. There was a lot of possession but not a lot of clear-cut chances.

“Both goalies only made one or two saves. In the last 15 or 20 minutes, we scored our goal, then we got an opportunity at the back post where Johan Caney-Bryan had one cleared off the line and Sam Hasler hit the crossbar.

“They had chances themselves. It wasn’t a poor game or anything, but the game wasn’t great.

“It could be a big point at the end of the season.”

Town are at home to divisional rivals Erith & Belvedere in the third round of the FA Vase on Saturday.

When they met at Faversham in the league in September, the hosts won 4-0 but Warrilow said: “It’s a big game because it’s in the FA Vase. We all know what can happen in cup football.

“They’re a different animal to the side that we played earlier in the season. Hopefully, we can just put on a better performance than we did on Saturday.

“It will finish on the day and the result is the most important thing. After this round, we’re into the last 32 and it gets a bit more interesting.

“Being drawn against someone in our league means that at least it’s a team we know, but it’s still a difficult game.”

The victors of the tie will pocket £1,125.

Faversham have been drawn at home to Whitstable in the Kent Senior Trophy quarter-final on January 18.