We've got the players to stay up, says Lovell

Monday 18th January 2010

ASHFORD TOWN boss Steve Lovell says he has the players to climb off the foot of the Ryman League Division One South table and towards safety, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Homelands outfit have suffered the most in Kent with the weather conditions and numerous postpone has meant that Lovell’s side will be playing at least two games a week between now and the end of the season with at least 16 home games to be crammed in.

Lovell, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk today, starts his hectic schedule with a trip to Ryman League Division One North side VCD Athletic in the second round of the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

“I don’t know much about them actually,” admitted the Welshman. “I’m just glad to have a game and put a team out and obviously get back to playing some football.

“The last game was Folkestone (away on Boxing Day) and I think before that was Leatherhead two weeks before that, so I think in the last six week’s we’ve played two games. It’s a bit frustrating but it’s the same for everybody.

“We’ve trained quite hard for the last two weeks to try and keep the fitness levels up so hopefully we’ll be alright tomorrow night and get ready for the league game on Saturday.”

That league game is a trip to Whyteleafe and Lovell is determined to see his side climb off the foot of the Ryman League Division One South table as quickly as possible.

Ashford have picked up only two wins and five draws from their 18 league games, but due to their inactivity, they do have between two and four games in hand over the sides in the relegation mire.

The unofficial winter break has, however, allowed some key players to return to action this week.

“On Saturday we trained and I had 22 players there, that’s including two lads from the reserves who have come in and done a good job,” revealed Lovell.

“We’re getting the boys back fit. Joe Fuller’s back fit ready for tomorrow night; Paul Jones will be fit for Saturday; Scott (Chalmers-Stevens), the keeper, will be fit tomorrow night so Toby (Ashmore) is the only on really now out through injury. We miss Lee Hockey tomorrow night through suspension but Josh Willis has come back to us and will have a game in the reserves on Wednesday to see what his fitness is like.

“I’ve got good numbers now and it’s just a case of putting a team out on the field and winning the games.”

Looking ahead to their trip to Church Road to tackle fourteenth placed side Whyteleafe, Lovell said, “This season has been strange. Teams have beaten everybody and it happens every year so all we can do is go out and give it our best shot and work hard.

“We’ve got the players good enough to win the game. If they perform on the day we’ll win the game. If they don’t, we’ll find it difficult so it’s down to them to go out and play their best and if we don’t then we’ve got a problem.

“We’ve got loads off games all through January and February, it’s probably booked up Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday. It goes from one extreme to another where we haven’t played and we get loads of games coming together.

“We’ve got to get on with it. We’ve got a job to do, a goal to achieve, to get out of the bottom two. We’ve got the players to do it, but we’ve got to start performing. If we perform then it won’t be a problem.”

VCD Athletic dispatched fellow Ryman League Division One North side Thamesmead Town in the first round beating their Kent neighbours 4-2.

Paul Foley's side have enjoyed an impressive start to their first ever season in the Ryman League currently sitting in 8th place just outside the play-off positions.

Having lost in the league on Saturday to Waltham Forest, going down 2-1, the Vickers will be hoping to play the game with the full complement of players this time with centre half Gary Cook sent off after only 30 minutes against Forest following an earlier penalty miss from the normally prolific Leroy Huggins.

Aaron Firth came off the bench to score a consolation on 90 minutes with his fifth goal in only eight appearances and with five of those eight being substitute appearances.

As is always the case with cup ties the league form goes out of the window and it remains to be seen whether both sides will use players that have not featured in league games recently.

Vickers welcome back recent signing and defensive linchpin Kevin Watson to the squad, following a freak eye injury sustained in training following a tackle with midfielder Lee Maskell.

Ironically Maskell sustained an eye injury in the first half of the defeat on Saturday, following a clash of heads and is not expected to feature.

Visit VCD Athletic's website: www.vcd-athletic.co.uk

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

VCD Athletic v Ashford Town

Kent Senior Cup Second Round

Tuesday 19th January 2010

Kick Off 7:45pm

At Oakwood, Old Road, Crayford, Kent DA1 4DN