Manager Lee Martin has praised Whitstable midfielder Mikey Berry.

Berry came off the substitutes’ bench to score the winner in the Oystermen’s 2-1 victory at Isthmian South East high-fliers South Park last weekend.

The 20-year-old found himself out of Whitstable’s starting line-up, having suffered with illness last week, but he bounced back in style after forward Kane Rowland had cancelled out Park’s first-half opener.

“Mikey is a fantastic footballer,” Martin said on Berry, who helped Folkestone Invicta to last term’s Isthmian Premier title triumph under boss Jay Saunders. “I know what he is capable of.

“We just need to find a way of getting him into certain areas. He’s a great technician.

"It’s about allowing him to play within a system and just letting him find his rhythm.

“Last week, he was down to play in the cup competition [last midweek’s 4-1 Velocity Cup loss at Steyning Town]. He then ended up missing that game and training on Thursday through illness, but he didn’t sulk. He’s one that is a match-winner.

“He has bounced around from pillar to post and, now, he probably just needs to find a home.

“He did well with Jay - a great footballing man - last season. Hopefully, I can give him some gems around what out-of-possession looks like.

“But there’s no doubt about it, he can be a really big player for us on his day.”

Martin, who only took over at The Belmont in the summer, appears to have found a good blend of experience and youth in his squad in recent weeks. The fitness return of defender Mason Hunter and arrival of players such as Berry have been supplemented by the likes of Rowland and veteran forward Dean Grant.

On the roles of Rowland and Grant in the side, Martin said: “We’ve got two players that understand what’s required, from them as individuals but also for the team.

“Their roles and responsibilities are very simple in terms of what we want from them. It’s basic stuff that they’re used to. It’s been good for them to come into that.

“We have got Mason Hunter at the back, as well, who has been majestic in terms of his performances. He was with me at Ramsgate but he’s taken his game to a whole new level.

“With people like him, Mikey and Seb (Amataj) from Bromley, there is a good mix. It’s exciting. I look forward to matchdays and I look forward to training with the players.

“We have a laugh, which is vitally important, and then the rest of it kind of takes care of itself.”

Martin also praised the work of coach Sean Hill as he hit back at South Park boss Josh Gallagher’s suggestion that the Oystermen’s main attribute was their physicality.

“We were good value for it, contrary to what their manager says,” Martin said. “He didn’t give us a lot of credit.

“Ultimately, we were the ones pushing and causing a lot of trouble. There were some good insights from my team.

"Sean Hill had good ideas about how we could hurt them so shout-out to him and to the rest of my management team.

“You’re only as good as the people around you - and they’ve been superb.”

Next up for in-form Whitstable is this weekend’s home match against Peacehaven & Telscombe before they travel to Merstham on Tuesday.

The Oystermen suffered a 4-0 opening-day loss at Peacehaven & Telscombe, when Harrison Pont was red-carded early on, but Martin’s men are a different kettle of fish these days.

“They’re coming to us,” he said. “We want to make our place a fortress and we want to be able to show what we’re about. We’re a totally different team.

“We will respect them after being on the end of a hiding to them on the opening day, but we’ve moved on a hell of a lot since then.

“I cannot even tell you how many players we’ve moved on since then! We’re on a completely different path.

“It will be another difficult game but we’re looking forward to it.”

Whitstable were 3-2 victors in a midweek match at Sittingbourne, which extended their winning league run to six matches.

The Oystermen scored all of their goals inside the first half as Rowland netted twice to add to Grant’s fifth-minute opener.