Harvey Smith fired Whitstable to within touching distance of this season's FA Vase final - but wouldn’t be the first member of his family to turn out at Wembley!

The young striker came off the substitutes’ bench to complete the Oystermen’s comeback 3-2 quarter-final victory against Whitchurch Alport, bagging a late winning goal after his penalty had been saved last weekend.

Six years ago, Smith took in the FA Vase final as cousin Ryan Flack, an ex-Whitstable player, was part of the Cray Valley side which suffered a 3-1 extra-time loss to Chertsey Town.

“I’ve watched a Vase final before,” he said. “My cousin has played in one so I felt what it was like to watch it there.

“But to be there and playing in it, that would be unreal.”

Indeed, midfielder Flack started at Wembley for the Millers and came through more than 70 minutes before he was replaced by Josh James.

Smith said: “Ryan was at Cray Valley in 2019 so I remember watching that.

“They conceded a couple of goals in extra-time but, overall, it was a good experience.”

Smith revealed player-manager Jamie Coyle’s pride at his team’s latest Vase heroics at the quarter-final stage after the full-time whistle.

“He was just really proud of the boys,” he said.

“Coming from 2-0 down, obviously, that’s not easy. But with us being at home, he knew what it meant for the fans.

“As a group together, we’re all so connected so it was for the group and for the fans.”

Smith admits it’s key the players at Whitstable, also challenging for a Southern Counties East League Premier Division play-off place, put their FA Vase semi-final to the back of their minds for the time being - but doing so might well be easier said than done.

He said: “It’s game-by-game always so we can’t think that far ahead already. We have just got to think about the next game.

“But also, you can’t not think about it, really, being two games from Wembley.”

A club-record crowd of 2,656 were at The Belmont as striker Ronald Sithole halved the deficit for Coyle’s troops, who found themselves 2-0 down early on.

Debutant Nathan Jeche then grabbed a second-half leveller before Smith won it.

“I’m buzzing,” said Smith. “It’s a good feeling. You could see with the turn-out from the fans that it was a special day.

“Getting that last-minute winner was an unbelievable feeling.”

On playing in front of a huge attendance, surpassing the previous club record, which had stood since 1987, he added: “They made a lot of noise.

“They have always been good and they came out in numbers on Saturday.

“We really appreciate that and that’s why we won the game - because of the fans. The noise they made was mental.

Report: Whitstable 3-2 Whitchurch Alport

Coyle: My best win yet

“You can see what our fans are like in a fairly small ground so, at Wembley, they would just be unreal.”

After referee Ayrton Hursey had awarded Whitstable a late penalty for a foul on skipper Jake McIntyre, it initially looked like Jeche would step up from 12 yards, only to pass the ball to Smith.

He said: “I went over to grab the ball and he just said ‘Let me hold it, let me take all the distraction away.’. Unfortunately I still missed it, even though he took that pressure off me!

“But it was sort of planned.”

Nevertheless, Smith kept his nerve to react quickest to fire beyond goalkeeper Ben Sheward at the second attempt to spark wild scenes.

He said: “I just saw the ball drop down - and I couldn’t think about anything else.

"I just had to tap it in. There was no way that I wasn’t scoring that goal.

“It was the best feeling ever and you could see my reaction in the celebration.

“It’s probably the easiest goal I’ve scored! But feeling-wise, it’s probably the best goal.”

While Smith was disappointed not to start against Alport, he made a major difference, entering the fray with the team still 2-1 behind.

“The team came out and obviously, the same as any player, you’re going to be gutted not to be starting in a big game like this,” he said.

“But you just have to stick with the team, have faith in the XI that were out there and they brought in back to 2-1.

“I then came on and we got another goal before I got the third one. We have a great team.

“Everyone has got a bit of quality so I wasn’t too angry.”

Smith feels there’s a good blend in Whitstable’s squad.

He said: “It’s a good mix.

“There’s a few young boys, including me, and then a couple of experienced boys who have done things like this already.

“People are definitely learning off each other so it’s a good environment.”

Among them is player-manager defender Coyle, 41, whose decision to put his boots back on has helped the Oystermen recover from a slow start this season.

“With him being the manager but also on the pitch, it’s been really good,” said Smith. “You can see his quality.

“Obviously, he’s played at a very good level. Rather than saying things from the side, him being in the game is different.

“For him to be able to give instructions and be in the game at the same time, I feel like that is a different level of information he can give out.”

Smith thinks he has developed from being purely a target man to a more versatile forward.

He said: “This season, I started as a No.9. But we have brought in different players and I feel like I’ve got the ability to play on different sides of the front three.

“All of our players can do it, really - everyone can rotate - and I think that’s the good thing about our front three.”

The cup-tied pair of fellow forward Dean Grant and midfielder Bradley Schafer warmed up with the team ahead of Whitstable’s FA Vase quarter-final victory - and both could yet have big roles to play away from their run in the national competition.

“Those two not even being in the squad due to being cup-tied, that just goes to show the quality we have got in the squad,” said Smith.

“They’re probably up there as two of our best players on the ball and we’re still getting wins like this. So, just imagine what we can do when they’re in the squad.

“The depth we have got is very good.”

Smith got his 14th goal this term against Whitchurch Alport, but only four of them have come in 2025.

He explained: “I started off firing on all cylinders. I’ve then had a bit of a drought, but my team-mates have helped me pick myself up.

“I’ve kind of forgotten about scoring and, naturally, I knew the goals would come somewhere along the line.

“Hopefully, the scoring can just carry on now.”

Also formerly of Corinthian, ex-Margate man Smith looks to have found a home where he can enjoy his senior football at Whitstable.

He confirmed: “This is my second season of playing a lot of games.

“I think I’ve played 35 or more games in back-to-back seasons now which, obviously, is good for me. That’s helped me grow and learn a lot more.

“It’s just about learning different things, adapting to different things and just to keep growing. I cannot say anything negative about the club or about the fans.

“I’ve stayed this season for a reason because I want to help the club get promoted and do good things. I cannot fault anyone at the club.

“It’s very good.”

While Smith is desperate to taste FA Vase glory, he is just as eager to secure a top-five league finish for Whitstable - and a return to Isthmian League football via the play-offs.

“With the facilities Whitstable have got, the pitch out there, and with all the people behind the scenes, it’s not a Step 5 club,” he said. “We would like to get into the play-offs, as well, and get promoted this season in the league.

“Hopefully, we can do that, as well as doing well in the Vase.”

Smith wasn’t involved in midweek as Whitstable won 2-0 at leaders VCD.