Danny Ward admits Whitstable Town’s early FA Trophy exit was a disappointment but prefers to look at the bigger picture nearly three months into the new season.

With no midweek game the injury-hit Belmont squad had a chance to rest injuries with at least seven players carrying knocks.

Scott Heard, Ashley Ulph, Tom Loynes, Nick Treadwell, Ollie Gray, Joe Kennett and Luke Girt have all been struggling recently.

Ulph and Gray both failed to finish the 3-1 home defeat against AFC Sudbury in the Trophy on Saturday, with ankle injuries, while Ward reckons Treadwell, who has been struggling for two months with a shoulder injury missed out on a deserved man-of-the-match award after being pushed from “pillar to post” by the Suffolk side.

Girt has been laid low by a throat infection.

Ward said: “We have been nursing players through matches, but had a good training session in the wind at Whitstable Community College on Tuesday when they all had treatment.”

He added: “It was a disappointing performance against Sudbury which we didn’t see coming, but we are miles ahead of where we should be.

“We are sitting ninth in the table with 24 points, which could have been a few more, but then people’s expectations would be even higher. Everything has to be put in perspective. Overall I would give ourselves seven out of 10.

“We have played some fantastic football so far, considering we haven’t been able to field our first choice back four.”

Whitstable face Kent derbies, against Hythe on Saturday and second-placed Faversham on Tuesday.

Ward said: “We owe Hythe one, big-time after they knocked us out of the cup. Faversham won 4-1 at Three Bridges on Tuesday and are flying at the moment.

“I think both will be up there at the end of the season, However, we have played nobody better than Folkestone so far.”