Hendon 1-2 Whitstable Town - This is the best squad Whitstable has ever seen, says Nicky Southall

The Oystermen continued their epic run to the Second Round after causing a second upset over Ryman Premier League opposition when they came from behind to stun Hendon.

Hendon now play their home games at Harrow Borough’s Earlsmead Stadium, which is situated less than five miles away from Wembley Stadium, which stages the Final on Sunday 23 March.

Although playing underneath the iconic arch seems impossible for a club placed nineteenth (bottom six) in the Ryman League Division One South table with 20 points from sixteen games, Southall and his players are relishing their underdog tag going into the next round on 14 December.

Whitstable Town rode their luck during the first half as Hendon hit the post, the bar and had a goal ruled out for a foul, before Gary McCann’s side deservedly opened the scoring through journeyman striker Jefferson Louis, 34, who is playing for his 29^th different club.

The striker headed home from close range in the 68^th minute to put Hendon in the driving seat.

But Whitstable Town – who came from behind to knock out Ryman Premier League opposition in the shape of Carshalton Athletic in the last round – had other ideas, punishing two goalkeeping mistakes in the space of four special minutes.

Laurence Harvey headed home his first goal of the season to restore parity and around 70 travelling supporters were in raptures when striker Charlie Smith came off the bench to score his seventh goal of the season.

However, both of Whitstable Town’s goals will go down as goalkeeper errors – but Southall was delighted at the final whistle as he joins some Conference Premier elite clubs in tomorrow’s draw at Wembley Stadium.

“I’m a little bit shell-shocked and delighted, I’ve got to say,” said Southall, 41, who has played in every level of football from Premier League to Ryman League Division One South during his glittering career.

“The character of this bunch of players I’ve got is unbelievable! To come back again from 1-0 down away to a team in a league above, they don’t know when they’re beat!

“To respond in the manner we did was absolutely outstanding and unbelievable support by our away fans who sung throughout the game – fantastic – they made it just like a home game!”

Whitstable Town have scooped £17,450 in prize money from The Football Association and can now look forward to their eighth tie on their epic run.

Southall said: “Everyone was telling me this is the furthest they’ve ever been in this trophy but records are there to be broken aren’t they? We all know that but it’s an absolutely fantastic run and a fantastic reward for the amount of effort. Our fitness levels again are fantastic.”

Southall watched Hendon’s 4-2 home win over Canvey Island in the league last week and McCann relegated Dean Cracknell to the bench and brought Lee O’Leary back in the middle of the park.

Southall kept faith with the same eleven players that defeated Corinthian-Casuals 3-1 in their last game last weekend.

But a Kent based scout watched that game and passed back to McCann that Whitstable right-back Joe Kane was to be the weakest link and Hendon linked up well down the left with full-back Jack Bennett and winger Tony Taggart to put the former Lordswood defender under constant pressure.

But Whitstable Town started well and they should have opened the scoring after only 25 seconds.

Striker Ashley Baverstock was released down the right and he slid the ball inside to his partner Craig Thompson, who was unmarked inside the box.  The former Hythe Town striker brought the ball down under his spell but slid over some eight-yards from goal and the ball trickled past keeper Berkley Laurencin and Hendon defender James Fisher got back on the line to clear the ball away.

Southall said: “We had a chance where we could have scored after 25 seconds. Thommo’s gone through and just lost his balance when he’s one-v-one with the keeper.”

Reflecting on the start, Southall added: “You have to come to this place and start well. There’s no point starting on the back foot because it puts you under pressure.  That’s why I came here last Monday to watch them because I identified their weaknesses and strengths.”

Hendon were to be denied by the woodwork with three minutes and 40 seconds on the clock.

Taggart swung in a corner from the right and Carl McCluskey helped the ball on and Louis directed his header against the near post from three yards.

Southall added: “We could have been 1-0 up but then we could have been 1-0 down. They (also) hit the bar and we’ve responded and our goalkeeper’s had a good game as well.”

Whitstable Town winger Scott Heard clipped forward a free-kick from the centre circle and midfielder Peter Huggens took a touch before cracking a right-footed drive sailing over the crossbar from 25-yards.

Whitstable attacked down the right and Jake McKenzie released Baverstock, who twisted and turned Hendon left-back Jack Bennett to whip in a cross towards the near post for McKenzie to loop a diving header into the keeper’s gloves.

Whitstable Town’s highly-rated keeper Luke Watkins, the son of former Sheppey United manager Mal, beat away Chris Seeby’s angled drive after the right-back cut in.

Watkins then made a brilliant save in the 21^st minute when Kevin Maclaren chipped in a cross into the penalty area where Louis made space with only the keeper to beat and his poked volley was expertly blocked by the keeper’s legs.

Southall said: “I’ve got to say, Luke was absolutely outstanding in goal, but every man to a man, the boys we brought on were absolutely outstanding.

“You need to play well. You need your goalkeeper to play well but you need your defenders to play well. I thought we defended very well from the front. Thommo was again outstanding, his work-rate , his energy levels, which brings in other people in the game.”

The crossbar saved Whitstable Town seven minutes later.

McCluskey was the driving force in the move when he bulldozed his way through the heart of the Whitstable Town defence before laying the ball inside to Taggart who drilled a powerful shot with his left-foot from 22-yards which screamed over Watkins’ head and crashed down off the underside of the crossbar and away to safety.

Kane moved forward from his defensive examination to win the ball before cutting inside before stroking a left-footed drive harmlessly wide of the post from 30-yards.

And central defender John Guest came up from the Whitstable back line to give the Kent side their second chance of the half.

Steven Hafner swept in a free-kick into the penalty area and Guest’s header didn’t have enough power and Laurencin caught the looping header as it sailed towards the top corner.

McCluskey teed-up a chance for right-winger Anthony Thomas, who unleashed a right-footed angled drive, which was blocked by Watkins at his near post.

Whitstable Town, meanwhile, received their third piece of luck on the stroke of half-time.

Taggart swung in a corner from the right and Sam Flegg powered his header across goal and a whistle had blown for a foul by the time McCluskey had bundled the ball over the line in a scramble.

Hendon’s fans probably felt it wasn’t going to be their day when a decent chance to open the scoring went begging 12 minutes into the second half.

Seeby, O’Leary and Louis linked up well and Thomas’ clever pass put O’Leary through on goal but the central midfielder held his head in his arms after stroking his right-footed shot across Watkins and just past the foot of the far post from a tight angle from eight-yards.

Louis then flashed a right-footed shot on the turn just wide of the near post from 25-yards.

But the game exploded into life with all three goals coming within seven minutes.

Louis scored his nineteenth-goal of the season to give Hendon a deserved 68^th minute lead.

Seeby whipped in a quality deep cross from the right flank which sailed over Watkins’ head and Louis escaped Harvey to plant his header down and into the bottom near corner from three-yards.

Southall was disappointed with the goal.

He said: “Jefferson Louis, up front, leading goalscorer in the league, which we’ve kept pretty quiet. He’s had one chance in the whole game and we switched off at the back stick and he’s scored.

“We’ve managed him really well, someone whose been in and around the pro game.”

Southall added: “He’s headed it in two or three yards out, but we’ve got to stop the cross, but they’re the home team, they were putting a lot of pressure on us and throwing a lot of balls in to the box.”

But Hendon’s supporters were only celebrating for 218 seconds as Harvey made amends to keep Whitstable Town’s dreams alive.

Hafner whipped in a hanging free-kick from 35-yards goal and keeper Laurencin came off his line and flapped and Harvey nipped in to loop his header past the 25-year-old keeper, the ball bouncing into the middle of the empty goal.

“I’m really pleased for Laurence,” said Southall. “It was his man who scored at the back stick but I said to Laurence he should be getting ten goals a season from centre half for someone his size.

“I’ve identified the goalkeeper comes and flaps at a few things and that’s what he did! The goalkeeper has come running out and Laurence has just got ahead of him and just lobbed the ball over him – it was a good finish!”

Whitstable Town grabbed a famous cup shock by scoring the headline making winner within four minutes – through route-one football.

Watkins clipped a free-kick straight through the heart of the Hendon defence.  The ball was flicked on by Thompson and Smith drilled a right-footed shot, which went through the hands of the diving keeper and the ball trickled over the line of an empty net.

 “The winning goal was a speculative shot from Charlie,” admitted Southall.

“Maybe the keeper could have done better. I thought he’s caught him off guard to be fair and the ball’s bounced over the goalkeeper into an empty net.

“Again, I don’t think the goalkeeper covered himself in too much glory there.

“My goalkeeper was outstanding! Obviously goalkeeper’s get punished for mistakes. It’s a horrible position at times when you do make mistakes. It’s a killer blow and when they do make mistakes the ball hits the net!”

Southall was full of praise for his super-sub and said: “Charlie Smith’s come off the bench and got the winner. That’s what it’s all about! It’s a team game isn’t it? I said in my team talk, I said the winner will be sat on the bench today and that’s what happened.”

Hendon continued to pump balls into the Whitstable Town box, but a resilient sea of red repelled wave after wave of attacks.

Hendon’s last chance saw Maclaren float the ball towards the far post where Louis cushioned his header past the near post from close range.

The final whistle brought joyous scenes of celebration between Whitstable’s players and supporters and they can now look forward to tomorrow’s draw and another stab of a giant-killing act.

“It’s just a special feeling,” said Southall afterwards.

“As much as you get the accolades being the manager, you get the accolades when you’re doing well and you get the knife in the back when you’re not doing so well. You’ve got to take it how it is and look forward to the draw really.

“We’ve got a massive game (away to Walton & Hersham) on Tuesday in the league so as much as you want to celebrate, we’ve got a league game to look forward to.

“We’ve got some really tough games in the league and that’s why I’ve got a squad. That’s why our squad is absolutely fantastic.  This is the best squad that Whitstable have ever seen and I firmly believe that and I stand by it!”

A delighted Southall has seen his side beat Sittingbourne (away 5-1), Potters Bar (home 2-2 then 2-1 away), Hythe Town (2-2 away then 2-1 at home) and Carshalton Athletic (2-1 away).

“Let’s hope we get another decent draw for us,” said Southall. “We haven’t had it easy in this FA Trophy run – we’ve probably been away from home in every round.

“There’s some big clubs in there and I think we’ve raised a few eyebrows in Kent and long may it continue.

“These lads deserve the credit not just me and the coaching staff and the board, but those players, once they step over that white line and win games for you and ultimately lose games for you. We’ve got the confidence and we’ve got that winning mentality and the momentum.”

Southall warns the non-league elite that Whitstable Town will not be enjoying a good day out in the Second Round.

“Maybe they don’t want to play us because it could be a banana skin and a potential slip up,” said Southall.

“If I was the Luton manager I would want to stay away from Whitstable at the minute because that’s the kind of feeling we’re starting to create.”

Meanwhile, Whitstable Town travel to ninth-placed Walton & Hersham on Tuesday night with vital league points up for grabs - but on an impressive eight-match unbeaten run.

“Back down to earth,” was how the boss put it for their trip to Stompond Lane. “They had a good result yesterday, I see they beat Guernsey, one of the stronger teams in the league, so we’re under no illusions, so we know it’s going to be a tough game.

“We’ve got to take that momentum into it again and freshen things up and keep people fresh and hopefully we can go there and give a good account of ourselves.

“We play Peacehaven, who are third in the league next Saturday, so we’ve got some big games for the supporters to look forward to as well as my players.”

Whitstable Town’s chairman, Gary Johnson, added: “Well, what a performance! I thought the boys’ grafted. We’re the lowest place team in the competition and the only Ryman team definitely through.”

Hendon: Berkley Laurencin, Chris Seeby, Jack Bennett, James Fisher (Dean Cracknell 67), Sam Flegg, Kevin Maclaren, Tony Taggart (Michael Bryan 79), Lee O’Leary, Jefferson Louis, Carl McCluskey, Anthony Thomas (Casey Maclaren 67).
Subs: Max McCann, Dave Diedhiou

Goal: Jefferson Louis 68

Booked: Kevin Maclaren 52, Jack Bennett 77

Whitstable Town: Luke Watkins, Joe Kane, Ross Webb, Peter Huggens, John Guest, Laurence Harvey, Scott Heard, Steven Hafner (Daniel Wells 79), Craig Thompson, Ashley Baverstock (Charlie Smith 66), Jake McKenzie (Craig Maguire 83).
Subs: Jack Simon, Matt Byott

Goals: Laurence Harvey 71, Charlie Smith 75

Booked: Ashley Baverstock 18, Laurence Harvey 45, Jake McKenzie 49, Ross Webb 73, Craig Maguire 90

Attendance: 211
Referee: Mr Lloyd Wood (Dagenham, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Nigel Phillips (Ely, Cambridgeshire) & Mr Thomas Hancock (Ely, Cambridgeshire)
Fourth Official: Mr Peter Nagy (Harrow, Middlesex)