The ultimate dream is to play at Wembley, says Ashforrd United assistant manager John Ovard

ASHFORD UNITED assistant manager John Ovard says his side are going into the unknown when they entertain Cobham on Saturday.


The two sides lock horns in The FA Carlsberg Vase Second Qualifying Round at Homelands.
 
Ashford United are in fifth-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table, having won five of their six league games.

Cobham, meanwhile, play a level below Ashford in Division One of the Combined Counties League and arrive at Homelands Stadium in the bottom three, having collected four points from seven games.

Ovard said: “It’s a little bit of an unknown in the Vase – you’re never quite sure what sort of teams you’re going to be up against.

“We’ve done a little bit of research in regards to them so we sort of know what we’re going to expect but it’s one of those, you have to concentrate on what we’re good at.

“We’re playing well recently, apart from the little slip up against Lordswood, so we’re confident that we can put in a performance and get a result.”

Ashford’s only league defeat of the season came at home to Lordswood, when they lost 2-1 on 10 September.

“We’re playing some decent football,” said Ovard.

“I think we just had a bad 45 minutes against Lordswood when we let them get on top and we didn’t play the football.

“Other than that game we’ve been playing well, scoring goals and maybe Saturday was the only bad point that we didn’t score enough goals.  I’d rather have that problem than not picking up points.”

When asked what has pleased him during the early stages of the season, Ovard said: “I think the players’ attitudes have been spot on, which certainly makes Paul (Chambers) and my job a lot easier.  The players are working very hard. They came back from pre-season fit, all ready and they’re enjoying it.”

Ashford United spent two seasons in the Kent Invicta League when they had to come across teams raising their games when they came to Homelands Stadium.

The club didn’t win the title during their two seasons at Step Six as Bly Spartans (now Rochester United) and Phoenix Sports were victorious as Ashford took their time to get to grips with that level of football.

“I think the other side of things, we’re not under the pressure as we was last season in the Kent Invicta League,” explained Ovard.

“Everyone came to Ashford wanting to beat us when they thought our set up was the biggest and the best whereas in this league other teams have got stadiums and have been around the league a lot longer than us so maybe there’s not that pressure on the players’ so they can express themselves easier.

“I came to the club and Paul had already been there so I can only comment on the period of time that I was there.  There were a lot of organised teams and the home games it was their cup final so we had to approach that every single week.” 

Last season Kent League club Tunbridge Wells reached The FA Carlsberg Vase Final when Martin Larkin’s side went down to a brave 2-1 defeat to Northern League side Spennymoor Town in front of 16,751 fans at Wembley Stadium on 4 May 2013.

“That’s everybody’s dream,” added Ovard. “What Tunbridge Wells did was fantastic and full credit to them.

“In an ideal world that’s what you want to experience – the ultimate dream is to play at Wembley.”

But getting past Cobham is worth £800 in prize money from The Football Association.

“That’s massive for any club,” highlighted Ovard. “The FA Cup money and The FA Vase money helps pay certain bills and keeps football clubs alive so we’re certainly going to try to achieve that sort of figure and move on to the next game to the next.”

When asked what Ashford United’s aspirations are for the season ahead and the timescale that they are looking at to gain promotion into the Ryman League, Ovard replied: “I think it’s no secret that our wage bill isn’t one of the highest in the division, so we’ve got to accept what is an achievable goal.

“With the way we’re playing, we want to be in the top end of things realistically speaking.  In our first year if someone gives us an opportunity to be in the top six, then that will be a good achievement.

“If we can pinch a spot higher than fantastic. We’re not under the pressure to be in the top one, two, three four, so it’s nice to have that challenge for the players.

“The financial side of things in football now will tell that story to be honest with you. If you have a big budget that helps you win games and win leagues. But in the financial climate we’re in the days have gone by when people are going to give you £10,000 and climb up so rapidly.

“I think the football club are doing everything right to keep the stability first and foremost. They certainly don’t want to go down the road that they’ve gone down before when they had to expunge the club and bits and pieces.

“It’s step by step, game by game, week by week. Unfortunately you have to do it slowly.”

Visit Ashford United’s website: www.ashfordunited.co.uk

Ashford United  v  Cobham
The FA Carlsberg Vase Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 21^st September 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Homelands Stadium, Ashford Road, Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent TN26 1NJ