New manager Andy Drury insists Whitstable can still stay up ahead of what he’s described as seven cup finals.

Experienced former Football League midfielder Drury took charge on Monday night, just hours after the Oystermen parted company with Keith McMahon following last weekend’s 2-0 home defeat to Hythe.

The 38-year-old arrives with Whitstable eight points from safety at the bottom of Isthmian South East, having taken just one point from their last nine matches.

But Drury, who has left a playing role at Isthmian Premier Folkestone to join Whitstable, said: “I think it’s a really good club, they get really good crowds.

“I have been to watch them two or three times this year.

“I still think the squad is decent and they can stay up."

Speaking on Tuesday, Drury added: “It’s my job to motivate the players and get a few in, which I’m trying to do. If I can (bring some players in), I feel we have a good chance.

“Obviously, the players will be low on confidence.

"But we have got seven cup finals and we need the backing of everyone, really.

“I will probably carry on playing until the end of the season. I was in good form at Folkestone, hopefully I can carry that on at Whitstable.”

Drury wants his new charges to play an attacking brand of football - but knows that may not be possible straight away.

He admitted: “We want to play on the front foot, we want to play exciting football when we can. But we need to recognise we are in a dogfight.”

The new boss is also trying to add to the club’s backroom staff and, while this is his first managerial venture of his own, he was player-assistant to Danny Kedwell at Cray Wanderers earlier in the season before Kedwell left the club after Christmas.

He counts Stevenage, Ipswich, Luton, Crawley, Eastleigh, Ebbsfleet and Havant among his former clubs during a fine playing career.

Drury added: “I was, obviously, with Keds at Cray for a few months. Things didn’t work out how we wanted them to but I have got plenty of experience.

“People might say I have not got much (managerial) experience but I’m sure my experiences in football will outweigh a lot of people.”

There will be some familiar faces for Drury at Whitstable as well.

He added: “I know a few of them - Dan Eason, Danny Walder and Harry Goodger, as well as Tom Mills.

“I played with George Monger last year (at Sittingbourne).

"It will be nice to work with them.”

Ahead of the Isthmian League deadline today at 5pm, players leaving the club include Junior Baker, Mo Kamara - who has joined rivals Ashford - Callum Watts and Zak Bryon while Scott Doe, Jack Hanson, Veron Nzinga and Adam Highsted have joined alongside defender Jack Miles, who had only recent departed.

Whitstable visit fifth-placed Haywards Heath this Saturday - and will be without defender Tom Mills who starts a three-match suspension.

Drury said: “It’s not a bad one to start with, to be honest.

"No-one will be expecting us to get a result.”