Keith McMahon isn’t reading too much into Whitstable’s Kent Senior Cup defeat at Ashford.

Since McMahon took over at the Belmont in October, the much-improved Oystermen have climbed off the foot of the Isthmian South East table and will leapfrog opponents Sevenoaks into 16th if they beat them this Saturday.

But Whitstable were knocked out of this season's Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday night, losing 4-0 as McMahon made six changes.

He admitted: “The weather was atrocious and the pitch was atrocious but the game came at the wrong time for us, really.

“I’m more interested in the game this Saturday and then the following weekend.

“We gave a debut to a 16-year-old, Jacob Couzens, and played some fringe players.

“They went really strong and only rested Liam Friend but we expected that. We didn’t go weaker to show any disrespect to them, I have a lot of respect for Tommy (Warrilow, Ashford's manager) there.

“I just needed to rest some people who have been playing with knocks like Tom Carlton. Junior Baker cannot really play on that surface, either.

“Of course, you want to win every game but it was a good experience to see how those players did against the likes of Jay May.”

McMahon gave starts to Mekhi Hyde and Samuel Itauma, who has recently been at Southern Counties East Hollands & Blair, as well as bringing on substitute Couzens who has been with the club since he was six.

“Mekhi Hyde is the brother of Tyrique at Dartford,” McMahon said.

“He has moved into the area and we thought we would have a look at him, as well as Sammy.

"But my main focus is Saturday to Saturday.

“It’s difficult every Saturday to look at the players on the bench and the other players you want to have a look at.

“In that sense, Tuesday served its purpose. It answered some questions for me.”

The midweek defeat came after a 3-2 win over high-fliers Haywards Heath last weekend which came courtesy of goals from Kemo Darboe, Stephen Okoh and a Danny Walder free-kick.

McMahon reflected: “We were brilliant for the first 60 minutes on Saturday.

“We changed our shape a little to combat them and we brought in Junior Baker who was just immense.

"We went into a 3-0 lead before a mistake let them in to score and they then scored a second five minutes later, and they started to show why they are up there.

“But we really dug deep and it was a brilliant team performance.”

Looking ahead to the Sevenoaks clash, McMahon added: “I know Micky (Collins, the Sevenoaks manager) really well, they are very up and down.

“I know he was not happy with them last Saturday, losing to Whitehawk but it’s going to be difficult over there.

“If we play like we did last Saturday, we will be all right. If not, we might come unstuck.

“We are not that far away and it’s another great chance to climb a place for us.

“If we do get three points, we may be only three points off 12th, and we were bottom when I took over.

“There’s a good vibe at the club and amongst the players.”