Richard Styles has welcomed a break from league action for Whitstable.

The Oystermen, one of the pre-season favourites for promotion from the Southern Counties East Premier Division, are already 15 points adrift of unbeaten frontrunners Erith & Belvedere.

Goals from Harry O’Donnell, Tom Mills and Matt Gething, along with Josh Oliver’s penalty, saw Whitstable win 4-2 last weekend at Glebe before they lost 2-1 at home to Hollands & Blair on Tuesday.

There’s Kent Senior Trophy action for Styles’ side this Saturday as they host Stansfeld.

“Sometimes, it’s nice to have that and, sometimes, it’s good to get away from the league,” said manager Styles.

“We have a cup competition game we can compete in now so we are looking forward to it.”

The Oystermen are due to face third-placed Stansfeld two weekends in a row, Whitstable visiting Foxbury Avenue in the league the following Saturday.

Styles said: “It might make the second game a little bit tighter.

“But we play differently at home and away anyway. When you play one team once, and then again straight after, it does sometimes make the second game tighter. We will see.”

Trailing at half-time, striker Gething struck his fifth goal of the season, only for the visitors to retake the lead as ex-Whitstable boss Scott Porter made a winning return.

Styles said: “It’s a really frustrating one because I hate losing football matches. Everyone does, I’m no different.

“Normally, you are in a bad mood but it’s very difficult to feel that way because we played well. We deserved so much better.

“I’ve slept on it and there’s no way we deserved to not win or draw that game. That’s probably the reason I’ve not been as upset as I should have been.

“The performance was better but you have to win games.”

Since returning to The Belmont, Whitstable have struggled to get going on their new 3G pitch. They beat Rusthall 3-2 last month, but have lost four league fixtures.

“It’s not a problem,” insisted Styles. “The players are aware of it but it’s not a concern.

“We just need to turn the tables quickly. The only way to do that is by playing another game there.

“The last five games at home, we have used different formations.”

It leaves the Oystermen 10th, however Styles is trying to maintain a positive outlook.

“What happened in the past has happened,” he said. “All we can do is the jobs we have to do.

“This is not an overnight thing. There’s some great people at the club.

“We’re a new set-up and a new team. It’s not all doom and gloom, we are losing some games but we are building.”

The defeat to Blair was particularly disappointing, though, after their win at Glebe.

Styles said: “Nobody gave us a chance, going away to Glebe, but the boys went away and put in a superb performance.

“It was actually a similar performance on Tuesday night. But we have to pick up points.”

Midfielders Joe Nelder, Joe Jarvis and James Huggins come back into contention for the cup clash, as does defender Mills who missed the Blair match through illness.

Forward Stephen Okoh has re-joined Whitstable on a dual-registration basis from Isthmian South East Ashford.