May: Team doing well the priority

Ashford United striker Jay May insists winning games rather than achieving individual success remains his top priority, writes Joe Harbert.

The 33-year old (pictured left), who hit a brace in Saturday’s FA Trophy draw with Witham Town, says he is hungry for the team to keep improving throughout his first full year at Homelands.

“It’s obviously still very early in the season and I’m pretty happy with how I’ve been playing,” May said.

“As you get older, you probably get a little less selfish because the main thing you want is the team doing well. Like every footballer and team will say, you want to win every week, and the first thing I want is to win, so I don’t really have any personal targets for the season.

“I just want to play as many games as I can because I’m not going to go on forever, and as long as the team is doing well, then I’m happy.”

Now approaching the twilight years of his career, the Nuts & Bolts No.9 thinks that both the youth and experience in the side will prove vital at the top end of the pitch. Team-mates David Smith, Levi Gold and Aaron Condon have all hit the net in recent weeks, and May believes the squad’s forwards are all fired up to succeed during the months ahead.

He added: “Obviously David has been scoring, and I’m really pleased for him because he’s been working really hard. “I know that for myself I’ve been playing pretty much every league game, which is unfortunate for the other guys who play in the same position, because they’ve all got great potential and are good, quality lads.

“Last year it happened to me when I joined from Dulwich. I got injured around Christmas so didn’t end up playing until January.

“So those that aren’t playing now, they just have to be patient, because there will be times when I come out of the side and the other boys come in.”

Boss Tommy Warrilow, who also signed May when manager of Tonbridge

Angels in 2010, says the centre forward remains a key ingredient for his side on the field.

“When we hit balls into Jay, we look to get the midfield forward and get bodies up and around him,” Warrilow said.

“He’s in the team to do a job, and he does it. He holds it up, he wins his headers and he brings people into play well.”