Whitstable joint-manager Danny Ward says the Oystermen must seek to emulate Saturday’s visitors Burgess Hill Town if the club are to progress.

The West Sussex side are unbeaten in Ryman League, Division 1 South this season with 12 wins from 15 games and are two points behind leaders Faversham with three games in hand.

Ward is under no illusion that ninth-placed Town – four points outside the play-off places – face at tough task at the Belmont (3pm) but says his club should follow the route Hill have taken.

He said: “If you look at the teams at the top of the division, Burgess Hill, Faversham and Folkestone, then they have had pretty much settled teams for three, four, five years. They are not chopping and changing things every year and starting again.

“This is not overnight success. They have built the club the right way, they have kept a decent squad together and added a couple of quality additions here and there.” He added:

“I’m not saying that were we to finish in the play-offs at the end of the season then we wouldn’t give it everything we’ve got to try and go up but this is a building project, this is not a two-minute job.

"This is a three or four-year plan. We’ve got to do things the right way.”

Meanwhile, Town have submitted two approaches for forwards. former Town forward Craig Thompson, now at Hythe and Faversham's Luke Harvey, although Ward does not expect either to join the club.