Seager says K's giant killing is he's best as Whitstable manager

PROUD Whitstable Town boss Marc Seager has hailed yesterday’s shock FA Carlsberg Trophy win at Kingstonian as his “best result as a manager,” writes Stephen McCartney.

Seager’s troops went into the preliminary round clash at Kingsmeadow in buoyant mood following their morale-boosting midweek win at fellow Ryman League Division One South strugglers Corinthian-Casuals, which hauled them out of the relegation zone.

However, only Seager and his players, were expecting to claim their biggest ever scalp as they came away from their table-topping, unbeaten, rivals with a battling 3-2 victory.

Kingstonian have a very proud history in the FA Trophy having beaten Forest Green Rovers and Kettering Town in finals at the old Wembley Stadium in 1999 and 2000.

A goal from Dan Whisker after seven minutes gave the Kent side a shock lead and Jake Gess squandered an excellent chance to double their lead.

However, the Surrey giants showed exactly why their three points clear at the top of the table, as they turned on the style and scored two goals before the break, which could have been more but for some stout defending by the Kent side.

But a quality lob by sole-striker Ian Pulman early in the second half, stunned the K’s faithful as Whitstable drew level.

Then, just five minutes later, Pulman was hauled over inside the penalty area and despite Jack Tanner’s penalty being saved, Gess followed up to score the winner.

Whitstable fought long and hard to keep their lead intact and went on to earn a home tie against a Brackley Town side that are currently sitting in tenth place in the British Gas Business Premier League in just thirteen days time.

Seager, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk this lunchtime, says it’s been a good week for his club.

“We were fantastic!” he said. “Two good performances in five days. We’re off the bottom of the table and in the next round of the Trophy - we’ve had a great five days.”

On the eve of the game Seager had warned the Surrey giants that his side were travelling to Kingsmeadow to cause a major cup shock.

Seager said: “They are a very good side. I’ve always said when we’re on our form, on top of our game, we can hold our own against anyone and that’s what we did. We went up there with a game plan and took the game to them.

“It was a fantastic team performance all round. If you pull out certain individuals, you have to say Liam “Quinn, who put in a fantastic captain’s performance, and Mark Munday and Clint Gooding and Dan Whisker were fantastic in the middle of midfield.

“Games are won and lost in the middle of midfield, they were up against two very good players and over the ninety minutes we came out on top.”

Seager hopes yesterday’s impressive victory over, arguably the biggest club in the division, will kick-start their season.

They travel to Metropolitan Police next Saturday aiming to improve on their record of two wins and a draw from their first ten games.

“It should kick-start it but only time will tell,” said Seager.

“Metropolitan Police will be a very tough game and then we’ve got Brackley in the Trophy. It’s the furthest the club’s gone in the Trophy.

“To beat a side with so much history in this competition is a fantastic achievement.

“They are a very good side and I expect them to be chasing the title come April, but what we did was took the game to them.

“We’ve dominated the first half-an-hour, then they got the equaliser and they got on top of us. They got their noses in front with two quick goals and it was a case of going in 2-1 down at half-time. We got a bit sloppy in our own play, lost a bit of shape and got punished for it.

“We had a good chat at half-time and said the next goal was the important one. If we got the next goal we could go on and win it.

“The players went out with a great attitude and desire and it was backs against the wall stuff but you expect that against a very good side, at home, and top of the table.

“We knew we would be under a lot of pressure and they threw everything at us bar the kitchen sink. We stood firm and defended for our lives. When they hit the bar with two or three minutes to go we knew it would be our day.”

Seager will be fully clued up on their next Trophy opponents Brackley Town by the time of the Belmont Road clash on 18^th October.

“You know me, I will do my homework and we’ll be ready for them,” vowed Seager.

“One thing Ill always do as a manager I always prepare my teams or whatever opposition.

“Brackley (are) in the Southern Premier so it’s going to be a tough game for us, but there’s no easy ties in the competition as every team is in our level or above.

“When you were in the Kent League in the Vase you could get lower opposition. We’ll be ready and enjoy it and seeing our result (at Kingstonian), especially being at the Belmont as well, they would rather have us at home.

“But they have to make the journey down to our place and won’t know what to expect and we could come up with another performance.

“I said yesterday was my best result as a manager. Beating Bearsted to win our first bit of silverware (the Kent Senior Trophy) and going onto (win) the Kent League. But when you look at the result and the start we’ve had, to go to a big club like Kingstonian and get a victory on their own patch was a fantastic performance

“Yesterday was an excellent achievement and our best performance of the season. You look at the opposition, they are a good side. They’ll be disappointed not to get nothing out of the game and they were respectful in defeat and their players knew they’ve been in a game.”

Visit Whitstable Town’s website: www.whitstabletownfc.co.uk