Ben Smith believes it’s "crunch time" in Herne Bay’s bid to earn an Isthmian South East play-off place.

Bay are a point outside the top five with 12 league fixtures to go but they have at least one game in hand on everyone above them.

Bay battled to a goalless draw at eighth-placed VCD last weekend.

Boss Smith reflected: “We were really happy with a point. They’re a good side.

“We set up a little bit differently to stay in the game and tried to spring them on the counter-attack.

“We kind of did that a few times and it got broken up by fouls but, ultimately, we weren’t good enough going forward as a team to nick the win, really. A draw was a fair result.

“If anything, they shaded it in possession, as I thought they would at their place. But it was one that we didn’t want to lose because they would have made ground on us.

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“A draw is not great for them. The teams around us won, but it’s important we stay calm and level-headed.

“We have got 12 games and, if we beat the teams we should beat on paper, then we are very close. It’s crunch time.

“It’s important that, if we have a bad result, we put that to one side and concentrate on the next one.

“We have got a points tally in mind and it’s just a race to get to that total.”

Smith, who would not reveal the points target he had in mind, has brought keeper Billy Johnson on a 28-day loan from Maidstone after first-choice Jordan Perrin tested positive for Covid.

“We were rushing to get him in a minute before the deadline for the National League. A massive thanks to Maidstone United,” Smith commented.

“They have helped us out a lot there, really, because we didn’t have a keeper through Covid.

“Billy’s distribution is good. He’s good with his feet and has fitted in really well.”

With Perrin having now recovered from Covid, Bay have a decision to make over who plays between the sticks when they host under-performing Whitehawk this Saturday.

Smith admitted: “It gives me a decision to make. But as Jordan knows, I was hamstrung. I had to make that call.

“It’s not something that I would have done but needs must at the time and Jordan knows it’s about the team - not about one individual.”

Bay lost on Tuesday to National League South Welling in the Kent Senior Cup, going down 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, despite two fine headers from defender Dan Johnson.

Smith said: “I think it took us a little while to get a bit of confidence on-the-ball, off-the-ball I thought the boys did extremely well. We were really patient with our shape and discipline.

“In that respect, I cannot fault my side at all. I thought we needed to be a bit braver in the first half, but the lads know they are playing a team from two leagues above. They gave them a little bit more respect than they should do.

“Second half, I thought we grew into the game and it looked like there was only one winner. We scored goals from two corners but we also created chances to score from open play.

“Bitter-sweet is probably the phrase to have - happy with the performance to a degree, but a little disappointed to lose. Do we need to have this competition? Absolutely not.

“Let’s have it right, we don’t need the competition, however it would have been nice to have beaten them.

“But 2-2, we effectively didn’t lose in normal time and we’ll take that.”

Former Bay midfielder Bradley Stevenson captained Welling on his Winch’s Field return.