Spice given chance to reclaim first team shirt

BRADLEY SPICE is expected to feature for around an hour of Ashford Town’s home Ryman League Cup Second Round clash against Thamesmead Town on Tuesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.

The former Dover Athletic and Sittingbourne striker played a thirteen minute cameo role, following his lengthy lay-off, at the end of the Nuts & Bolts’ impressive 3-2 win over league leaders Kingstonian at Kingsmeadow today.

K’s lead at the top of the Ryman League Division One South table remains at just four points following their second league defeat of the season so far.

Although Ashford ended their run of eleven games without a win - although eight of those games were drawn - this has increased their promotion aspirations.

Ashford are currently sitting in twelve place in the Ryman League Division One South table, yet they are only fourteen points adrift of Kingstonian and are more than capable of going on a good run, like last season, to climb the table, forcing their way into the play-off places come the end of April.

But before Eastbourne Town visit The Homelands on Saturday, attention turns to Tuesday night’s Ryman League Cup Second Round clash against a Thamesmead Town side that came away from fellow Ryman League Division One North strugglers Enfield Town with a 2-2 draw.

The Mead raced into a 2-0 lead after just eight minutes, courtesy of Lewis Wood’s brace.

But they had goalkeeper Tony Kessell red carded, catching the ball and Jeff Hammond and James Brown took the gloves but couldn’t prevent Rudi Hall netting the well struck spot kick.

The North Londoners levelled with sixteen minutes left when Gazmend Dauti’s diving header beat the diving Brown from six-yards.

Thamesmead Town are in 16th place in the table with 20 points from 20 games, although they're 13 points clear of both Witham Town and Hillingdon Borough in the drop zone.

Lovell, meanwhile, revealed his thinking for the all-Kent cup clash.

He said: “Bradley will play on Tuesday. He’ll play another hour so he’ll be like having a new player at the club when he gets himself fit.

“Hopefully he’ll be in the reckoning (for a first team league start) in the next couple of weeks.

“I’m not going to change it that much. I’m going to give certain boys I need to give games to and certain boys need to rest.

“The older boys are playing two games a week and we’ve got a busy period coming up over Christmas.

“I’ve got one or two players I want to have a look at on Tuesday that are coming down to have a game with us so we’ll have a look at them and see what they do but we’ll be going out to win that game.”

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

Visit Thamesmead Town’s website: www.thamesmeadtownfc.co.uk

Ashford Town v Thamesmead Town
Ryman League Cup Second Round
Tuesday 2^nd December 2008
Kick Off 7:45pm
At The Homelands, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ