A patched up, but very determined, Whitstable team produced another impressive cup performance to knock out a team from two steps higher in the football pyramid for the third consecutive round. Bradley Schafer headed in a Mikey Dalton cross to give Whitstable a first half lead against Hungerford Town. He had earlier struck the post with a good strike and Harry Williams also later rattled a post at the other end. Hungerford pushed for an equaliser after the break, but rarely troubled Dan Colmer in the home goal and when his goal kick was flicked on by Dean Grant for Joe Healy to make it 2-0, Whitstable were in no mood to pass up the chance to reach the Fourth Round Qualifying for the very first time and defended solidly to become the last remaining Step 5 club in the competition.

This Emirates FA Cup campaign began in early August and Whitstable scored 16 goals in two Preliminary Round ties, but things then got much tougher. A last minute winner at Dulwich Hamlet was followed by a narrow midweek replay triumph at Chichester City as two Isthmian Premier Division teams were knocked out. The Third Round Qualifying paired Whitstable with another Step 3 team, Hungerford Town from the Southern League Premier South, where they had earned 13 points from their first nine matches. The "Crusaders", founded in 1886, were new opponents for Whitstable and had played just two games to reach this stage, beating both AFC Stoneham and Swindon Supermarine 3-0. Whitstable were still managing injuries after several busy weeks with Jake McIntyre and Theo Osinfolarin ruled out, but there were returns from injury for Finn O'Mara and Javaun Splatt. There was a very good attendance of 971, with most hoping to see Whitstable reach the Fourth Round Qualifying for the first time in their 99th FA Cup campaign.

Prior to the kick off, there was a minute's silence observed for Billy Vigar, who tragically passed away following an incident in a game at Wingate and Finchley last week. Billy had been in the Chichester City team that played Whitstable in the previous round.

There was also a very special guest at the game. Whitstable's oldest living player George Dunn, who had also been present at Wembley when Whitstable won the FA Vase in May, was back in the town for a visit, now aged 103, and it was great to see him again enjoying the match.

Hungerford won two corners in the early minutes, the first of which came out to Matt Berry-Hargreaves whose shot went high over the bar. George Smith sent a number of long throws into the Whitstable box during the half, although they did not cause too many problems except for a Tyrone Duffus shot that struck a defender at close range in the penalty area bringing a few handball calls that failed to impress referee Dan Blades. Whitstable started to pass the ball around well and look threatening, with Bradley Schafer and Mikey Dalton both winning free kicks in midfield. A good move led to Splatt finding Schafer who got into a shooting position, but the Hungerford defenders managed to get in a block and clear. In the 22nd minute, Splatt received the ball on the left and passed inside for Schafer who got past several challenges and curled a shot from 25 yards that beat goalkeeper Luke Carney but hit the post and Ramarni Medford-Smith was on hand to clear the rebound. At the other end, Brad Hooper and Harry Williams both had efforts blocked as Hungerford mounted a brief spell of pressure.

Schafer made a good run to the edge of the area before being crowded out, but he scored his sixth FA Cup goal of the season in the 32nd minute as Whitstable took a deserved lead. Curtiss Angel misjudged the bounce on the halfway line and Fin Cotton picked up the loose ball before passing to Splatt on the right who laid it back for Dalton to send over a good cross to the far post where Schafer arrived between defenders to head past Cairney. More Whitstable pressure gave Connor Wilkins the chance to try his luck from 20 yards, but the ball went over the top. Angell then found himself with a sight of goal and poked the ball past Colmer from the left of the box, but it lacked power and direction, giving Finn O'Mara the opportunity to clear. The closest Hungerford came to an equaliser was in the 38th minute when Williams turned and shot from the 18 yard line, but the ball rebounded off the post. Whitstable lost Splatt to injury just before half time and he was replaced by Ashdon Day, but there were no late chances, so Whitstable led 1-0 at the break.

The visitors started the second half quite brightly and a Medford-Smith cross reached Hooper who fired wide from 18 yards, then another long throw by George Smith was scrambled clear. Day almost got in at the other end, but Cairney was out quickly to collect the ball. A promising Hungerford move created an opportunity for James Ollis who volleyed over from the edge of the area. Whitstable made a change on the hour mark, bringing on Dean Grant for Cotton. Schafer and Hooper were both off target before a Wilkins shot was deflected for a Whitstable corner. Two substitutes were introduced by Hungerford, but it was Whitstable that scored again in the 72nd minute. Colmer launched a goal kick up to Grant and he rose highest to head the ball on for Joe Healy who finished well with a left footed shot past Cairney. There was a delay because the Hungerford physio was injured when a collision resulted in a player crashing into the dugout, but after a couple of minutes play was able to resume, once two more Hungerford substitutions had been made in the 77th minute.

Hungerford pressed without being able to find a way through the Whitstable defence. An 86th minute corner led to a scramble after the ball went across the Whitstable box with nobody being able to get a shot on goal. When the ball was eventually sent up to Day, his shot from a tight angle was easy for Cairney. Whitstable almost added a third when some clever footwork took Schafer past two defenders before his shot was parried by Cairney and Jack Peters blasted the rebound over. The referee indicated a minimum nine minutes would be added and from a corner, a low shot by Kyle Tooze was easily saved by Colmer. Healy missed with a long distance effort after Cairney had come out to clear. Alex Monks lifted a shot into the trees behind the goal and shortly afterwards the final whistle confirmed Whitstable's place in Monday's draw when teams from Step 1 also enter. Their historic achievement in reaching this stage for the first time is more remarkable in that they have now beaten three Step 3 teams in successive rounds. They also remain the top scorers in the competition, now with 23 from their six games.

Whitstable next play at the unusual time of 11 am on Sunday 5th October, when their league match at Hythe Town forms part of the SCEFL ground hop, The next round of the FA Cup will be the following weekend.

Whitstable	Data	Hungerford
4	Shots on target	1
5	Shots off target	8
2	Shots blocked	4
2	Corners	5
10	Fouls conceded	13
1	Offside	1
0	Penalties	0

Whitstable Town
Daniel Colmer, Ricardo Thompson, Jayden Boulton, Mikey Dalton, Finn O’Mara, Will Thomas (c), Fin Cotton (Dean Grant 60), Connor Wilkins (Jack Peters 82), Javaun Splatt (Ashdon Day 42), Bradley Schafer, Joe Healy (Callum Peck 90+5).
Subs (unused): Zach Keeble, Jake Abrahams, Thiago Ferreira.
Goals: Bradley Schafer 32, Joe Healy 72.
Yellow cards: Daniel Colmer 71, Jack Peters 90+6.

Hungerford Town
Luke Cairney, Curtis Angell (Zach Kotwica 66), Ramarni Medford-Smith, George Smith (Jordan Rose 86), Matt Berry-Hargreaves, Brad Hooper (Alex Monks 66), Harry Williams, Tyrone Duffus, Louis McGrory, James Ollis (Kyle Tooze 77), Joe Shepherd (Conor McDonagh 77).
Subs (unused): Henry Woodcock, Bradley Passey.

Attendance: 971
Referee: Dan Blades
Assistants: Andrew Crossley & Richard Baker
Fourth Official: Richard Joss