Player-manager Jamie Coyle hung his boots up for the final time after managing his side to Wembley glory on Sunday.
Coyle ended a 25-year playing career as his Whitstable Town team beat AFC Whyteleafe 2-1 after extra-time to win the FA Vase final, and he saluted the youth alongside him who were key to that heroic win.
Report: Whitstable 2 AFC Whyteleafe 1
“The boys were absolutely outstanding,” said the 41-year-old.
“I thought they were the better side in the first half, they had a lot of possession. But I think the game plan worked in terms of just trying to stay in the game, even at 1-0 down.
“I thought our athleticism and our youth would come through towards the end, and in the second half and in extra-time, the boys were unplayable at times.
“We did a lot of work and a lot of research. We knew that they’ve got some individual players that are far superior than this level. They shouldn’t be playing at this level. You could see that in the first half.
“They had loads of rotations and they played through midfield really well, but they didn’t really create that many opportunities to actually score, which was good, apart from their goal.
“A lot of them were dropping, getting tired towards the early part of the second half. That just gave us a little bit of confidence to know that we’ve got that youth in our team and the changes from the side, as I said, the boys were brilliant.”
Young keeper Daniel Colmer made a great save at 1-0 down after Daniel Bennett had opened the scoring for Whyteleafe.
Harvey Smith equalised in the second half for Whitstable and Ronald Sithole struck the winner in extra-time.
Coyle joked: “He should have scored two more before then and I gave him a bit of grief in the changing room! He had a great opportunity from about two yards out when he’s hit the post!
“It’s his work ethic and that’s what we’ve tried to bring to this football club. It’s just people that are going to work really hard and be together and provide the right environment for them to grow.
“It’s a great platform today for some of them youngsters to go and showcase what they’re about.
“I thought Harvey Smith was one of the best players on the pitch. I don’t know who voted him for man-of-the-match, but I thought he was unplayable again. I’m really pleased for him because he’s still a youngster, as well.”
At the other end of the spectrum, Coyle retires on a high to put full focus on leading the team.
He said: “It can’t get any better than growing up playing football in your local park and dreaming of playing at your national stadium. To deliver a win and a trophy in my 25th year of playing non-league football.
“I keep using the proud word but what the boys have delivered for us and the football club, it’s most definitely a time to go out on a high.
“It’s a dream come true. I’ve had a number of friends there that grew up in the council estate that I was at in South London, in Catford, playing at seven, eight years old.
“We’ve all said the dream was always to play at your national stadium and for it to be my final year as well and to win it for the club, it’s still a little bit surreal.
“It’s a proud moment, it really is, and there’s been a lot of work behind the scenes that have happened for us to get here.
“I look at people like Fin Cotton, 19, his first year in senior football being released from Millwall to experience this. I made a joke and said, ‘just don’t think that you’re going to be here every year!’. It doesn’t happen often.
“I’ve tried to retire six or seven times so I most definitely didn’t think that it would be an opportunity. What a way to go out now to leave the boots on the peg in Wembley changing room.”
Whitstable missed out on promotion this season and lost in the final of the Kent Senior Trophy but winning at Wembley has helped soften the blow.
Coyle said: “It’s been a real team effort this year and to deal with the disappointment of losing in the play-offs on penalties, to then lose another cup final, to then deliver that, it’s a little bit of a pinch yourself moment and then just to look into the crowd and see 10,000 red and white fans from Whitstable. It’s a day that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
