Kentish Express Ashford & District
Still more to come
BOSS KEEN TO PUSH ON
Ashford United manager Tommy Warrilow i nsists Saturday’s match at second-placed Sevenoaks is winnable, providing his side approach the game with the right mentality.
United sit third in the Isthmian South East, one point behind their opponents, and Warrilow says he hopes his side can push on from recent FA and Velocity Trophy victories against Witham Town and Hythe respectively.
“It’s going to be another really tough game. Sevenoaks have started well but we’ve also started well,” he said.
“Every game is a winnable game – we’ve just got to go there with the right attitude, dig in and make sure we match their work-rate.”
As they look to bounce back from defeat to Cray Valley last time out in the league, United’s victory at Witham Town on Tuesday pocketed the club £2,250 in prize money.
It means the win has landed them a home tie against Southern Central side Barton Rovers in the first qualifying round on October 26.
Homelands boss Warrilow says this week’s tie has been one of “lots of positives” so far this season, although he believes his side are yet to show their true potential.
“I think we’re the form team in the league only losing one game, we’re still in the FA Trophy, and we also played well last week in the cup against Hythe,” he said.
“We went out of the FA Cup to a team in the league above (Farnborough) that we should have beaten after the first 20 minutes of that match, so there are lots of positives.
“But we still have to be more critical of ourselves,” he added.
“We can’t just come in and say we played as well as we did the game before. There’s still more to come and we want to push on.
“My j ob is t o keep demanding more and to keep banging the drum on the levels of expectation at this football club.
“It’s about being honest with the players as well, because I love them all as lads and I’ll put my arm around them too because I believe in them, but I’ll also tell them as it is.
“We had a complete clear out in the summer and managed to rebuild another very good team, especially when we sat here during preseason with seven players at one point.”
Victory on Saturday should guarantee the Nuts & Bolts a top-two spot by the end of the afternoon’s action, before they look ahead to Tuesday’s Velocity Trophy fixture away to Whitstable.
■ Witham reports, page 41.