Jones has been a wonderful servant to the club, says Lovell

Friday 12th March 2010

FOLLOWING the midweek defeat that halted their mini-revival, Ashford Town this weekend head for the banks of the River Thames to face Walton Casuals, on the same day that Mark Munday and Whitstable Town head for the Sussex coast to face Eastbourne Town, writes Mike Green.

The set of fixtures that pit the bottom four sides in Ryman One South directly in opposition means that this Saturday could be a pivotal day in the fight for survival – two true “six pointers!”

For Ashford boss Steve Lovell the disappointment at losing to Ramsgate on Wednesday night was obvious when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game.

“To be honest I didn’t think that we deserved to get anything out of the game tonight, “Lovell admitted.

“We didn’t play at all. Last four or five games we’ve been playing really well but tonight…

“Fair play to Jim’s side – they worked hard and they’re a big strong physical side that can play! We allowed them to play and we had the ball we didn’t – but we still should have got something out of it at the end of the night, but sometimes a manager has to put his hands up and give the opposition credit and I think that tonight, is one of those occasions – they fully deserved to win.

Ahead of such a vital weekend, Lovell took the glass is half full approach when he confessed that “There’s a lot more games to go until things are sorted but certainly I think that something has to give this weekend.”

He went on, “With Whitstable at Eastbourne – and that will be a ding dong battle – and we’re on the banks of the Thames to play Walton Casuals something must give!

“We know that it’s a huge game for us at the weekend as it will be for them, and you can say too that the other game is just as important especially as we’ve all lost again this midweek. So we’re into another weekend and nothing much has changed and so hopefully come Sunday morning we’ll be three points better off at least.”

Reflecting on the game that his side faces, the manager was as straight talking as ever. “Yes, it’s a difficult place to go, but its usually a nice pitch and I hope that that will suit us as it’s a nice ground to play football on albeit a tight ground!

“Their home form is very good but we got everyone in Thursday despite playing Wednesday and dust ourselves down.

“We might have Danny Lye back for the weekend, otherwise it’ll be the same squad that we had on Wednesday - but the bottom line is that this really is a big, big weekend for everyone at the bottom!”

Meanwhile, striker, Paul Jones, who scored 48 goals in 118 appearances for the club, has left.

And Lovell told www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk: “He rang me to tell me that he was leaving, he didn’t say much other than it was for personal reasons, which we have to understand.

“I don’t know whether he will sign for another club or not, but I would be surprised if he didn’t because of what he offers to a team. I’m unsure whether he has anywhere lined-up at the moment.

“He has been a wonderful servant for us and has led the line superbly during my spell at the club. It’s been a huge shame that he has struggled with injuries this term and we have certainly missed him, but now with Tom (Murphy), Mark (Lovell) and Joe Fuller all available we can cover his departure whereas in the past we have been a bit reliant on Jonah.

“I would like to thank him for all the effort he put in for us and wish him well for the future.”

Visit Ashford Town’s website: www.ashfordtownfc.co.uk

Walton Casuals v Ashford Town

Ryman League Division One South

Saturday 13th March 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At The Waterside Stadium, Waterside Drive, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 2JP