Boss Ray Turner says Faversham are hitting top gear at the right time as they prepare to embark on the ‘biggest month of our season’.

Town face seven games in 24 days in the month of February, six of them against sides they are chasing in the race for promotion plus Tuesday’s game at home to Whyteleafe, who are two points behind the Lilywhites.

Town extended their unbeaten run to seven games with Tuesday’s 1-1 home draw with Hastings following a 3-1 success against Three Bridges on Saturday and are now in the top-half of Ryman League Division 1 South.

First up is the visit of sixth-placed Walton Casuals to the Shepherd Neame Stadium on Saturday. Casuals are 13 points ahead of Town in sixth.

Turner said: “It’s a big month, our biggest of the season for sure. The most important thing is to try and keep the players fit because it’s a busy month, midweek games, heavy pitches, and we have very little margin for error.

“We need to keep taking little steps to towards achieving a goal (reaching the play-offs) which would be, frankly, extraordinary.”

Town have five games in hand on Casuals and several other sides and Turner said: “It’s not easy playing catch-up but we are back in the top-half, which for me was an absolute minimum this season.

“We are in a good place at the moment but we’re going to need a little bit of fortune in the next month.

“If we play like we did in the second half on Tuesday though we will cause the top teams some problems. They will see we are a threat.”

Turner paid tribute to new arrival Carl Rook who has put his storied career as a forward behind him to help Faversham out in central defence.

Rook, who turns 34 next week, joined after 18 months at Folkestone after previous spells at Hastings, Dover, Dartford, Tonbridge, Eastbourne, Margate and Leatherhead.

Turner said: “He started his career at centre-half and I think he sees the bigger picture that this could extend his career.

“He’s played consecutive 90 minutes, probably for the first time in a long time, and he has settled right in. I think he’s enjoyed it."