Striker Lovell set to make his comeback from injury

STRIKER Mark Lovell could be in line for a return to Ashford Town’s squad on Saturday - if he gets through a reserve outing at Ramsgate unscathed tonight, writes Stephen McCartney.

It will be Lovell’s first game since tearing his cruciate ligament in his left knee at the start of the season and for dad, Steve, it will like unveiling a new signing to the Homelands faithful for the visit of Burgess Hill Town.

“He has been missed this year, definitely,” manager Lovell told www.kentishfootball.co.uk, before the reserve match kicked off.

“Any player who’s a top goalscorer at the club will be missed so we’re looking forward, everybody’s looking forward getting him back.

“It will be like a new signing and knowing Mark he will take it like that, because he’s been out for so long. He’ll be like a sixteen-year-old again, who’s just starting football.

“He’s worked very hard in the last four months to get himself back to fitness and he does deserve to have a good second half of the season.”

Speaking about the injury to his son, Steve replied, “It’s been horrible because it’s been the second time it’s happened. He did the right knee like four years ago, so he’s worked hard to get it right.

“Let’s hope all his hard work will pay off and he can enjoy the remainder of the season.

“Depending how he does tonight and how he reacts, he’ll be involved on Saturday in some capacity. If people are playing well, he will have to compete like everyone else.”

Lovell, meanwhile, praised his side’s work ethic during the recent cold snap that ensured games against Whitstable Town and Godalming Town were frozen off.

But the Welshman is grateful to the club’s excellent training facilities at Minster College, Sheerness, that keeps his promotion chasing side ticking over.

When asked what his troops have been doing throughout the big freeze, Lovell replied, “The same as most clubs I think - try and get as much training in as you can in the places that you can.

“We train on the Astroturf pitch there, which never gets frozen, so it’s been a godsend really to get some training done.

“All the boys are conscientious and they’re very fit and keep themselves going as would most players in most teams.

“I think the level of fitness throughout the non-league game has improved tremendously and I think it’s a great testament to the players for all the effort they put in.”

Lovell joked that Milton Keynes based striker Claude Stephane Seanla needs to buy himself a jet - having signed for Ryman Premier League side Horsham.

The 6ft tall Ivory Coast born striker began his career at Tottenham Hotspur, for whom he scored 17 goals in 29 starts for their reserve side, before joining Watford in 2006.

Seanla dropped in to non-league football with Kettering Town, only to make a brief return to the pro-ranks with Barnet before his career took him to St Albans City, Wivenhoe Town, a trial with Tonbridge Angels reserves, before Lovell snapped him up and the striker scored 6 goals in 8 games before a hamstring injury curtailed his career at The Homelands.

Seanla now faces a 224 round trip to home games at Worthing from his Milton Keynes base, but Lovell says he gave the striker a chance to stay in Kent.

“I really can’t explain his move to Horsham,” said Lovell. “The travelling, when he lives in Milton Keynes - I think he needs a jet!

“He was out injured, I told him the situation, he had to try and get himself back fit and prove himself again to us.

“But he wanted to play regular football and I can’t argue with that but in our current run there’s no way I could guarantee him that.

“Unfortunately for him it was a matter of either come back and prove his fitness again - or go to another club.”

Lovell revealed midfielder Danny Lye is out of Saturday’s game against Burgess Hill Town through work commitments, but this opens up a chance for another member of his squad.

“That’s a big miss for us because the last three or four games he’s been a tremendous player for us,” said Lovell.

“He’s played in midfield for the last three or four games, scored a couple of goals for us but again that gives somebody else, he was only in the team because James Humphrey’s had flu (after) playing very well and scoring goals.

“James got ill, Danny got in and got man-of-the-match for three games.

“You play players who are playing well, now it’s an opportunity for someone to stake a claim for the middle of midfield.”

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

Ashford Town v Burgess Hill Town
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 17^th January 2009
Kick Off 3:00pm
At The Homelands, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ