Coach Craig Coles thinks it’s now or never for Whitstable in their play-off push.

The Oystermen lost more ground in their quest for a top-five Southern Counties East Premier Division finish with a surprise 4-0 home defeat against Fisher last weekend.

But Marcel Nimani’s No.2 insists Whitstable’s squad are good enough to get on a winning league run - like they did after a 3-2 defeat to bottom side Welling Town in early November.

Coles said: “We have set a target for ourselves.

“We have got nine games left this season. We’ve said, going into the last 10 games of the season – if we can win eight or nine – then we have got a chance. We have just got to go all out.

“It’s all or nothing. Ultimately, that’s the only way that we’re going to get into the play-offs.

“Ultimately, Fisher beat Deal – all right it was a weakened team – and Erith Town this year.

“Welling Town at home, we lost that one and then went on a run, so we have got to look at what happened there. We reacted to it and it’s up to the players to react again.

“We know we have got a strong enough squad. It’s just a matter of the players at the top-end of the pitch delivering.

“Jordan (Perrin, goalkeeper), and even Dan Eason when he was playing, they have kept us in games with the back four. It’s now down to the forward players to try and put it in the back of the net.

“It’s a little bit of pressure. But, ultimately, if they cannot handle pressure at this level, can they do it at a higher level?”

Whitstable’s match against Fisher had been goalless until the 40th minute at The Belmont. But once the away side had capitalised after defenders Jake Mackenzie and substitute Will Thomas had been left on the ground to score, things quickly unravelled.

But Coles insisted the performance had not been as bad as the result suggests.

“It’s a poor result - no matter how you look at it,” said Coles, who saw defender Ollie Gray (hamstring) come off injured shortly before Fisher’s opener.

“From how we started the game, to end up in the position we did, unfortunately, this year, that’s been a bit of a recurring theme.

“We haven’t quite been able to take the chances and sort of put the game to bed early on.

“We knew, going into the game, Fisher had conceded 13 goals in their last three games. That’s not to say they’re a poor side. But when you look at it, you think, if we get the first goal, we could gather momentum.

“But they scored their first goal out of literally nothing, with their first shot on goal. For us, I think it was a bit of a low blow.

“There were parts of the game that we played really well in. Unfortunately, it’s been the story of our season in the two boxes.

“It’s, obviously, very frustrating from a fan point of view. They probably looked at it and thought ‘They’re not necessarily playing bad football’.

“But when the ball is in the opposition box, we have struggled.”

The Oystermen will aim to bounce back on Saturday at home to Tunbridge Wells, who have prolific striker Trevor McCreadie among their ranks.

On 20-goal McCreadie, Coles said: “He has been a very good player for them over the last two years and has shown a lot of quality. We know what they’re capable of.”

Gray appears a major doubt, with Whitstable then due to visit Welling Town on Tuesday.

Coles said: “There’s no point rushing him back and losing him for three, four or five weeks, as opposed to one or two weeks.

“He will probably be a doubt for Saturday - but we will see how he recovers during the week.”