Lovell gives squad members a chance to impress - EXCLUSIVE

The Nuts & Bolts claimed a 1-0 home win over Leatherhead at the weekend and welcome Dulwich Hamlet to The Homelands on Tuesday night.

The south Londoners outclassed Lovell’s former club Sittingbourne at Champion Hill on Friday night, sealing a 6-1 win, with Charlie Taylor helping himself to a 12-minute first-half hat-trick.

“We’ve got two weeks to go and three games a week and I’d use it to, which I did on Saturday, to give a couple of the reserves a run-out and the boys who haven’t played that much a game and see how they go,” the Ashford boss revealed EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk on the eve of the game.

“There’s people who pay money to watch us play so we’ll still always go out and play our best and play for three points.

“We’ve still got most probably a say in how the play-off’s are going to go regards to other teams especially with Dulwich tomorrow night and Worthing on the last day of the season.

“We’ve got to be fair to all the teams in the league and go about our business to go out and win the game.”

Lovell says that their 1-0 win over Leatherhead was a “good win,” and the Welshman added: “We played well first half, could have been three or four up and then we didn’t get a second goal.

“It makes it a little bit difficult then and gives the opposition a bit of heart and they had a go second half but we held out and it was well worth the victory.”

Seventh placed Dulwich Hamlet, meanwhile, always impress with their three-man front line but a mixed campaign has put them currently out of the running and are six points adrift of fifth placed side Worthing with only four games left to play.

The Kent side, meanwhile, are in 12^th place in the Ryman League Division One South table on 51 points.

“Dulwich had a good start of the season and then they had a bit of a middle season where it wasn’t so good and they’ve come strong now at the end,” said Lovell. “Whether it’s too late I don’t know.

“They’re a very good, quick, athletic and attacking side.

“We lost 1-0 up there earlier on with a goal in the last five minutes so I was a bit disappointed with that, so hopefully we can turn it around tomorrow.

“It will be a tough match as they’re a very good side.”

Ramsgate, Maidstone United and Dover Athletic have all won this division in the last three years and Lovell wants to make it a Kentish quadruple next time out.

“We’re looking to improve every year and I think realistically improvement next year on this year would be play-off’s at least,” said Lovell.

“You have to give yourself goals and that’s what we’ll be doing.

“I’ll be very disappointed if this time next year we’re not in the play-off positions. We need to be in the top five this time next year.

“Everybody would be disappointed if we weren’t in that position. As a club we’ve got to prepare ourselves properly for an onslaught on the league next year and give it a good go.”

Lee Hockey (nose); Anthony Hogg (nose); Nick Humphrey (illness); and Mark Lovell (calf) have all been ruled out.

But Lovell revealed: “On Saturday I gave Joe Hitchings a chance and I thought he did quite well and I brought James Humphreys on in the second half and I thought he did very well.

“These are the kind of lads I’ll be giving games to see if they can impress and push themselves forward for next year.”

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

Ashford Town v Dulwich Hamlet
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 8^th April 2008
Kick Off 7:45pm
At The Homelands, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ