Jamie Coyle wants to see the majority of Whitstable’s club-record crowd keep getting behind his side during their frantic season run-in.

A massive attendance of 2,656 at The Belmont - the biggest in the club’s history - saw the Oystermen come from 2-0 down to beat Whitchurch Alport 3-2 in the FA Vase quarter-final tie as their best-ever run continued last weekend.

Southern Counties East League Premier Division Whitstable have the second-best average attendance in the division.

But with matches to catch up on in their play-off push and a Kent Senior Trophy final next month, as well as a two-legged FA Vase semi-final to look forward to, Whitstable’s fans will be needed now more than ever, with silverware on the line.

Player-manager Coyle said: “That’s the biggest hope from Saturday.

“We wanted to give a good account of ourselves because we’ve not seen a crowd like it here.

“We want to keep some of the people that have come through the gates, who haven’t come before or don’t come regularly. They have seen a team out there that’s giving everything for the football club.

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“There was a really exciting finish to the game. Hopefully, they have kind of got that buzz.

“Maybe, they’ll even be back for the league games that we have got coming up, but definitely for the semi-final.”

Whitstable are potentially just 180 minutes from a Wembley final as they start planning to face Hartpury University - who have already knocked out the Oystermen’s divisional rivals VCD and Erith & Belvedere - in the final four.

The first leg will be held at The Belmont on Saturday, March 29, before the second leg in Gloucestershire seven days later.

“You’d like to back yourself, tactically, over two games,” said Coyle. “We’ll do our homework, prepare right and you just never know.

“If we get the rub of the green and perform like we did for 70 minutes on Saturday, we’ll give ourselves a massive chance.”

Coyle felt debutant forward Nathan Jeche proved the difference in their Vase victory against Whitchurch Alport, having joined on dual registration from Cray Wanderers.

He got a second-half leveller after striker Ronald Sithole had struck, with substitute Harvey Smith winning it at the death on the rebound after his penalty had been saved.

While Whitstable have been in red-hot form, Coyle hopes the arrival of one-time QPR trialist youngster Jeche will help provide further cutting edge up front for his team.

“He’s someone that we tried to sign before he went to Cray,” the 41-year-old revealed.

“He was another player that wanted to play at a higher level and, sometimes, you have to say ‘Good luck.’. But we monitored his progress.

“I’m good friends with [boss] Neil Smith there and he has done brilliantly to help us out and dual-reg him. I felt he was the difference.

“He was strong, he was aggressive and, when we changed it and put him through the middle, it looked like he would score more goals.

“If we keep on creating opportunities, like we have done in the past couple of months, we’ll need someone on the end of it, and I’m hoping he’s the man that can come in and kill games off quicker.”

Coyle felt sorry for his unused substitutes against Whitchurch Alport.

But with this weekend’s trip to Snodland being followed by a return to home action against fellow strugglers Lordswood on Tuesday, strength-in-depth will be vital.

Coyle, who will also have FA Vase cup-tied pair Dean Grant and Bradley Schafer at his disposal again, said: “We have got loads of games piling up now, but we have got real depth in the squad.

“There were some players on Saturday I felt sorry for because they’d had a massive impact in terms of us getting here.

“Jayden Boulton was on the bench. He has been outstanding in the competition, but he missed the game.

“Where we’ve been doing so well, he’s not been able to get himself back in. That’s football.

“We have got competition for places throughout the squad and that’s what we’re going to need between now and the end of the season to get ourselves into the play-off positions and try to get some success in the cup competitions, as well.”

Attacking midfielder Josh Oliver, already with 15 goals this campaign, has left Whitstable on a temporary basis - ironically joining weekend hosts Snodland on loan.

“He found himself out of the team after a very good run of performances from everyone in the team,” said Coyle. “He’s still signed to us, but he’s gone out for a month of games.

“Hopefully, he’s getting his match fitness and sharpness back.”

The seventh-placed Oystermen won 2-0 at leaders VCD on their return to league matters on Tuesday.

Grant netted on the half-hour mark before Jeche added an injury-time second.

Four players were sent off late on, including Whitstable captain Jake McIntyre and substitute Will Thomas.