Manager Tommy Warrilow was made well aware of the importance of Faversham Town’s midweek Challenge Cup match with Faversham Strike Force.

A rotated Lilywhites squad secured a fourth successive win as an early goal from Ian Draycott and substitute Kieron Campbell’s late strike earned a 2-0 victory over their ground tenants at Salters Lane in front of a crowd of 420 on Tuesday.

While the Challenge Cup isn’t exactly top of title-chasing Southern Counties East Premier Division Faversham’s priority list this season, a match with lower-division Strike Force meant local bragging rights were at stake.

On the vastly-experienced Draycott’s goal, Warrilow said: “That came after 20 seconds or whatever it was!

“It was good decision-making by Nathan Wood to square the ball and it settled it down a little bit.

“By no means were we thinking it was a bigger game for them than it was for us. I knew what it meant from a town point-of-view.

“But we have got the Kent Senior Trophy, that competition, the FA Vase and the league to contend with, as well, so you have to start prioritising a little bit somewhere.

“There was a good gate. That side of it was really good.

“It was a nice non-league night where the floodlights shone and there was a bit of mist around. Unfortunately, it was spoilt a little bit by the yellow cards that were given out because it was a derby - but it certainly wasn’t a dirty game.

“I was made aware of the importance of the game by people who live in Faversham. I was getting told even before the FA Vase game on Saturday (a 4-1 home victory against Billingshurst)!

“But as I always do, I just took it one game at a time. I was able to give people minutes that needed minutes on Tuesday and rest those that needed a bit of a rest.

“Hopefully, we can keep getting crowds around that number because they have been around the 300-mark a lot this season already.”

Strike Force put in a spirited performance, though, and Warrilow’s side only made sure of their progress when Campbell bagged his fourth goal this campaign.

Warrilow said: “Both him and Nathan Wood have been excellent this season, they should put the fear of God into anyone!

“I’m glad KC got his goal on Tuesday because Woody has started the season very well - and has been getting the goals - but KC has been causing havoc, too.

“Hopefully, that helps him with his game, moving forwards but he has nothing to prove to me.”

Two-goal Tashi-Jay Kwayie, captain Callum Davies and an own goal did the damage against Billingshurst to set up next month’s last-64 home FA Vase match with Erith & Belvedere.

“They were a really good club,” Warrilow said. “I knew a few of their people and, believe it or not, I knew their manager from being at Horsham back in the day.

“I’m not going to say it was comfortable because I don’t want to take anything away from the boys. I’m always wanting a bit more.

“But in the Vase, you don’t get another chance so it’s just all about the result.

"It’s been another good week.”

Next up for Town is a home league match against Snodland on Saturday when 10-goal striker Johan Caney-Bryan is expected to return.

“There were three players not involved at all on Tuesday,” said Warrilow. “They’ll come back into the squad, plus I have the players that started and were on the bench.

“Someone said to me after the game on Tuesday ‘What are you going to do for Saturday’ - and I said ‘Don’t ask me that now!’.

“We’ve been without Joh for a couple of weeks and he’s back. We had no Sam Hasler or Bradley Simms, either.

“Even my bench on Tuesday was Tashi-Jay Kwayie, KC, Jacob Russell and Frannie Collin and Jack Piper, who’s from the under-23s.

“He got a few minutes again and did brilliantly. We know some in our squad aren’t the youngest so we manage that.

“But the players are on it and there’s a good, positive, buzz around the place. We know we have not won anything yet, so we’re not getting carried away.

“But the good thing is that nobody is talking about Faversham as much this year. It’s a lot calmer now.

“We know what the long-term target is for the club but I’ve been in football long enough to know there’s a long way to go.

“Anything can happen in a week in football.

"We have just got to keep it going.”