Danny Ward has revealed that a pre-season dressing down helped spark Whitstable’s eight-match unbeaten run to begin the season.

Town are six-games unbeaten in Ryman League, Division 1 South, claiming 12 points to lie sixth and booked an FA Cup derby date at struggling Hythe Town on Saturday, September 13, after overcoming Walton Casuals at the second attempt in the preliminary round at the Belmont on Tuesday night.

Joint-manager Ward said: “I’m over the moon with how we’ve started, given the number of new players we have and the injuries and unavailability we’ve had to endure.

“I thought it might not be until this sort of stage that we actually started playing as a team in the way that we wanted to – and we still had six potential starters missing this week.

“When they’re all back, then we’re going to have a headache.”

Ward revealed the unbeaten run might have been sparked when the management team tore into the players after a training match just before the start of the season, adding: “We played the under-21 team in a game designed to boost our confidence and lost 5-1.

“Someone answered back after the game and we shouted at them all a bit – the good thing about this bunch is every time you say anything to them you get a reaction.”

Ward added: “There is a real feelgood factor around the place. We even had Ian Pulman standing on the bar singing and the whole squad joined in.”

If Town’s run is to reach double-figures before the Hythe game then it will be hard-earned as they visit fourth-placed Whyteleafe on Saturday and then face a trip to high-flying joint leaders Chipstead – who have won all their games so far this season – on Tuesday night.

Ollie Gray, Kane Rowland and Aaron James all come into contention on Saturday while Jake Mackenzie is set to return for Tuesday’s game and Ashley Ulph and Scott Heard could feature the following week.

Ward added: “While we are pleased to be getting players back. We always say that players can keep the shirt if they’re performing and getting results, it makes life a lot easier, so unless we have any problems. then it’ll be the same XI again on Saturday.

“We want to keep the run going and we’ll be positive and go there looking to win.”