Whitstable boss Lloyd Blackman has welcomed the return of Harry Stannard following his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The forward was back among the goals on Tuesday night as he opened the scoring in the Oystermen’s 2-1 win over Cray Valley in the Kent Senior Cup.

Stannard, who has been struggling with a groin issue since last season, was handed a starting spot despite having initially been set to begin on the bench.

Blackman said: “Nobody was more pleased than me for Harry scoring his goal considering he’s been out for the last five or six months with a chronic groin injury.

“In terms of what he offers us, for one his technical quality is second to none.

“He’s a very intelligent player and one that I’ve worked with for the last 18 months or so.

“He offers you something different, some players are sheer pace or raw ability, whereas Harry has qualities in all areas.

“He can pick the ball up between the lines, he’s very intelligent, he can score goals as well.

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“I’m delighted for him after knowing the struggles he’s had.

“To see him come back and get the goal I was so pleased.

“He’s still got work to do, he’s not quite ready yet.

“That was the first game he’s really come back into it, he’s had the opportunity to play with the reserves recently.

“There was actually a lot of traffic on the way to the match with the weather and Harry wouldn’t have been starting.

“He’d have been coming off the bench in the second half but we decided to play him for the first 45 minutes and it worked great.”

With managers continuing to strengthen their squad across the Isthmian South East, Blackman insists he is no different when it comes to seeking reinforcements.

“As a manager at this level, I’m always looking,” he added.

“Nobody can rest on their laurels, nobody can feel in a safe place.

“Non-league football has a way of biting you on the backside if you do, I’m always communicating with other managers and always aware, if something presents itself I’d be silly not to approach it.”

Whitstable host Three Bridges on Saturday, entering the weekend 15th in the table.

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