Ashford Town FC

Ashford Town Fc In the Community

Over this past season Ashford Town Fc have been working on numerous projects throught the Ashford community. One of these is to support InvictaValiants (you can view their website by clicking their badge).

Part of this support allows junior members of Invicta Valiants to come and watch Ashford Town Fc matches for free. Every member is given a plastic card featuring both teams Club badges and on prenting this to the ticket office is given a free ticket.

Valiants have been running since 2004 and are Ashford based football team that want to encourage participation by all pan disability/special needs children, boys and girls, who have been excluded from joining in football coaching and team football because of their specific needs. They do not charge fees, are self funded and are run on a completely voluntry basis.

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Manager’s thoughts

Town manager Steve Lovell looks ahead to tonight’s Kent derby against Ramsgate and talks about the departure of cult figure Paul Jones.

After Saturday’s 4-2 win over Corinthian-Casuals spirits are high amongst the Ashford camp going into tonight’s clash with Jim Ward’s side but Lovell is fully aware of the threats that Ramsgate pose:
“It’s undoubtedly going to be a battle out there tonight. They are a typical Jim Ward side; they are strong, battle for every ball and like to get the ball forward early – we have to match them in every department tonight. On Saturday we played some great football and created numerous chances – to be honest I think we should have got more than the four but I can’t complain as the lads were excellent. We need to build on this, starting tonight, we haven’t been consistent enough this season but now, with us travelling to Walton Casuals on Saturday aswell, we have the chance to string a few wins together to move away from the relegation zone.”
Yesterday striker Jones informed Lovell of his decision to leave Homelands and the gaffer praised his efforts for the club:
“He rang me in the afternoon to tell me that he was leaving, he didn’t say much other than it was for personal reasons which we have to understand. I don’t know whether he will sign for another club or not, but I would be surprised if he didn’t because of what he offers to a team. I’m unsure whether he has anywhere lined-up at the moment. He has been a wonderful servant for us and has led the line superbly during my spell at the club. It’s been a huge shame that he has struggled with injuries this term and we have certainly missed him, but now with Tom [Murphy], Mark [Lovell] and Joe Fuller all available we can cover his departure whereas in the past we have been a bit reliant on Jonah. I would like to thank him for all the effort he put in for us and wish him well for the future.”
Lovell also revealed that Danny Lye is the only injury problem for tonight’s game and he isn’t likely to be risked for the visit of Ramsgate.
Come along to Homelands tonight to see the Nuts and Bolts take on Ramsgate in an important Kent Derby! Kick-off is at 7.45pm.

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Jones Leaves Homelands

Striker Paul Jones has today decided to leave Ashford Town.

Last season's top-scorer at Homelands has been struggling with injuries this term and has today informed manager Steve Lovell that he has decided to leave the Nuts and Bolts due to personal reasons.
Further reaction from Steve Lovell to follow tomorrow.

All at Ashford Town Football Club would like to thank Paul for all his efforts a the club and wish him well for the future.

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Cloke returns to Crabble

Craig Cloke played his last game in the Green and White of Ashford Town on Saturday as his loan spell from Dover Athletic ends.

The defender impressed during his short-spell at Homelands and against Corinthian-Casuals on Saturday he came within a whisker of scoring his only goal for the club as his powerful effort rattled off the post, however it turned out to be crucial as Tom Murphy tapped in the rebound. Cloke has been recalled by Dover manager Andy Hesenthaler to bolster their promotion bid from the Blue Square Conference South but clearly enjoyed his five appearances for Town:

“It was great to get some playing time under my belt. I had a few clubs interested in me but chose to come to Ashford and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and it was brilliant to finish up with such a vital win. I’m sure the lads will stay up this season as there are some great players in that changing room.”

All at Ashford Town would like to thank Craig for all his efforts at Homelands and wish him well for the future.

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Manager’s thoughts

Town manager Steve Lovell talks about the Nuts and Bolts defeat at Cray Wanderers in the Kent Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

Chris Borchescu gave Ashford the lead in his first start for the club, and despite playing some superb attacking football, Cray overpowered Town in the end and ran out 3-1 winners. Despite the loss Lovell was happy with the display:
“I was delighted with how the lads went about their business, especially after the Chipstead performance. We had a really young side out there but they all played out of their skins. The result really did flatter Cray. We created many chances and our attacking play was really good.”
“Chris [Borchescu] had a great game and showed why we were so keen to get him in. I think there is a lot more to come from him. Ronnie [Dolan] also put in a great shift. He is getting stronger with every game and I was delighted with the impact he had on the midfield.”
Town welcome Corinthian-Casuals to Homelands on Saturday and Lovell is expecting a tough game:
“We lost heavily to them earlier on in the season so we know what they are all about, but after Tuesday night the lads are raring to go. We will train tonight and work on a few things – I’m sure we will be prepared for Saturday.”

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Interview with Steve Lovell 22/02/2010

By S.Parker

Steve, the game on Saturday, from 2-0 down to winning 3-2, what did you say to them at half time?
I felt the only thing we needed to do was pass the ball quicker and that's what we did in the second half. I told them we had more time on the ball than we thought and they took it on board. We could have doubled our score in the 2nd half.

Injuries?
No injuries, they all came through it OK. Dependant on the weather we have a full squad to choose from on Wednesday.

Mark Lovell, MOM Saturday, is he now match fit?
Mark has worked hard to get back to fitness. Last 5/6 games he has been working back to full match fitness. He's done that now and he's pushing on to get a few more goals for us.

Ross Morley has been mentioned as having a 'blinder' of a game Saturday
Ross is always fit, a good lad to have around. This year has been a nightmare for injuries - long term injuries. It would be nice to finish the season with everyone fit.

Craig Cloke - pleased?
Clokie is a good lad. He has great communications with all the team. We have a young team that can be a bit quiet and Clokie gives us a lot of verbals, helping the youngsters out. I'm very pleased with him, a good player and a nice fella even if only for a month!

Chris Borchescu?
He's 19 years old with a very skilful left foot. I've known him for a few months. He brings something to us in midfield, he's one for the future. Very good at crosses and set plays.

Why has Geering gone back to the Gills?
He has glandular fever and will be out for the rest of the season.

Any signings/loans on the Horizon?
We have good youngsters coming through who deserve a chance. Laurence, Ronnie, Scorer and Shearing all have had a go and done well. I do know of available players and with our injury record I need to but at the moment the youngsters deserve a chance. Tom Murphy as well, we will be keeing an eye on what happens to him at the Gills but I hope he gets a pro contract because he deserves it.

There are always rumours of one or more of last seasons players wanting to come back?
No, we are trying to bring the youngsters through the ranks into the first team.

Kent Senior Cup - Are we going to try?
I'm putting out a team next Tuesday which will be good enough. I'm putting out a strong team against Cray with the majority of players from this Saturday playing. There a couple of players who need games to keep match fit.

Will we survive the drop?
All the players are playing for next season, to stay with us. We have a good squad there, we just need to keep fit. I thought this season we would have been in the top half of the table but injuries knocked us for six. We lost players in all positions, goal keepers, defenders, midfield etc etc. Last year the team picked itself, this year I don't remember being able to pick the same team for two games on the trot.We should survive relegation if all the team keeps fit and we carry on playing as we are, there should be no problem. Saying that this game kicks you in the teeth but I'd like to think we've had all our bad luck for this season.

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Borchescu joins Town

Ashford Town completed the signing of Christ Borchescu ahead of Saturday’s victory over Horsham YMCA.
The 19-year-old midfielder has made the move to Homelands from Ryman North side Thamesmead Town until the end of the season. Borchescu has a sweet left-foot and manger Steve Lovell is delighted to get another body on board.
“We have an extremely busy period coming up over the next few weeks and we need as many fit players on board as possible. He is a good player and will certainly do a job for us when called upon. We don’t have many natural left-footers in the side so we will add another dimension to our play and will hopefully prove to be a great acquisition until the end of the season.”

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Lovell reflects on crucial win and Briggs departure

Town battled to a vital three points on Saturday as a Paul Jones header was enough to overcome ten-man Dulwich Hamlet at Champion Hill, manager Lovell was delighted with his side’s commitment:“It was a really good performance; everyone battled hard and played their part. The win has been a long time in coming so we are delighted with it. We have certainly improved since the turn of the year and really should have won some of the games we drew, but this win will give us great confidence and the lads intend to push on from here.”One player that has been from the previous two squads has been midfielder Ryan Briggs and Lovell confirmed he has left the club:“Ryan has decided that due to work and everything he can’t 100% commit at the moment as he is unable to put everything into his football. He is going to go away and try and get fit again and you never know he could return, not this season, but next season we will assess the situation again. You can see by his performances that he hasn’t totally had his mind on the game this season, hopefully he can go away and get fit again and come back as the player we know he can be. I would just like to put on record that Ryan was brilliant for us last season, he played a massive part in our long unbeaten run, on his day he is a superb player and I would like to thank him for his efforts here at Homelands.”Ahead of the game against Horsham YMCA at Homelands on Saturday Lovell has confirmed a clean bill of health with the exception of long-term casualty Josh Willis. Craig Cloke has recovered from a hamstring strain, whilst Lee Hockey and Toby Ashmore are also both fully fit now.

The Nuts & Bolts take on Horsham YMCA this coming Saturday, 20 February. 3pm kick-off

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Steve Lovells Programme Views Before the Postponed Whitstable Game

Good evening everyone and welcome back to Homelands for this important Ryman League clash against Whitstable Town. Firstly I would like to welcome Mark Munday and his players to Ashford tonight.
This is without a doubt our most important game of the season so far. Both sides are desperate for the three points; a draw is no good for us. We have to go out there positive and do the business. of all, we have to stop giving teams the early advantage because silly mistakes are putting us on the back foot. Against Walton & Hersham, we shot ourselves in the foot. To give away a goal like we did in the third minute was criminal and you quickly get punished at this level. That aside, our play was good at times on Saturday. Despite the early setback I thought we contained them quite well and, in the second-half, we had a real go. Once we got one goal back I thought we would go on to win the game but in the end we missed a few chances and it wasn’t to be.
We need to start playing for the full ninety minutes because at the moment we seem asleep in the first-half and are getting punished.I thought Matt Newman came in and did a great job in the middle of midfield on Saturday. He is a good passer of the ball; long and short, and creates opportunities - something we have missed at times this season. To be honest everyone put in a committed performance at the weekend and we need to see a bit more of this if we are going to move away from the relegation zone.
One thing that isn’t helping is our injury list. Danny Lye, Laurence Harvey, Ross Morley and Matt Newman are all doubts for tonight. On the plus side, Toby [Ashmore] and Jonah [Paul Jones] are back in contention. We will need both for the run-in as they are experienced and have quality – something we have lacked at times this season.This is a massive game for us tonight, a real six-pointer. They had a bad result at the weekend and we haven’t won for a while so the team who goes out there and battles the most will come away with the points tonight. It’s down to the players to perform but please get behind them as it will only aid what they are trying to do.

Thank you for your continued support - it means a lot to the players and the management.
Enjoy the game

Steve Lovell
Manager

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KENT SENIOR CUPDRAW

The draw for the Quarter-finals stage of the Kent Senior Cup has seen the Nuts & Bolts drawn away at Ryman League Premier side Cray Wanderers.


Town dumped out VCD Athletic in the last round 2-1 and will be looking to keep their cup interests intact for the season when they visit Hayes Lane.



Full draw:

Cray Wanderers v Ashford Town
Folkestone Invicta v Maidstone United
Welling United v Margate
Tonbridge Angels v Sittingbourne

No date has been arranged for the tie yet.

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Lovell sweats on fitness of key players

Town manager Steve Lovell will hand late fitness tests to a contingent of important players ahead of tonight’s six-pointer against Whitstable Town at Homelands!

Captain Danny Lye, goalscorer Laurence Harvey, Matt Newman and Ross Morley all picked up knocks in the 2-1 defeat at home to Walton & Hersham on Saturday and Lovell rates that there is no more than a 50% chance that they will play. Some good news to come out of Saturday’s game is that Paul Jones and Toby Ashmore came through their returns from long-term injuries and look set to play an important part in Town’s relegation battle. Talking about tonight’s game, Lovell is under no illusions to how important it is:

“Tonight is undoubtedly our biggest game of the season to date. Both sides need three points – it’s as simple as that, a point is no good for anyone. So we have to go out there and not give them a goal start like we have done recently. We have to attack from the off and pick up the crucial win that we need.”

The Nuts & Bolts take on Kent rivals Whitstable Town tonight at Homleands. Kick-off 7.45pm.

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New Season Tickets To Be Introduced

Responding to feedback on this years ticket situation Ashford Town Football Club are to introduce season tickets in the form of a booklet for the 2010/2011 season as has been successfully tried and tested at league club level.
These tickets will speed up entry to the ground .
The season tickets will also be made transferable enabling any supporter not just the purchaser ,entry to the ground.
The booklet will also have the full seasons fixture list incorporated.

Club chairman Don Crosbie said "The club have to comply with ever stricter health and safety requirements and accurate totals as to crowd numbers is essential.The ticket issued for entry is also a re admission ticket should for any unforeseen reason a game has to be abandoned as was the case this season with the Whitstable game which was abandoned due to a power cut.We have looked closely at the ticket issuing situation and will introduce the new season tickets as a safe and speedy entry system which will also comply with the latest H&SE requirements

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Town snap up Cloke

Ashford Town are today delighted to announce the loan signing of Dover Athletic’s versatile defender Craig Cloke.
Cloke is a product of the Dover youth setup and made his first-team debut at the Crabble in 2003, since then he has played an important role in Dover’s rise up the football pyramid and won all four of the club’s player-of-the-year awards for the 2004-05 season. In recent seasons he has suffered from a number of injuries but will be keen to shine in his initial month’s spell at Homelands.
Cloke will go straight into the side to face Fleet Town tomorrow night.

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Update for Fleet game

Ashford manager Steve Lovell will give a late fitness tests to a number of players ahead of tomorrow night’s visit of Fleet Town.
Defensive trio Lee Hockey, Laurence Harvey and Carl Harrold are the most likely to return, whereas captain Danny Lye is rated as 50:50. Work experience duo Tom Murphy and Liam Geering are also in with a shout of returning to the squad with Geering recovering from flu.
Goalkeeper Josh Willis and striker Paul Jones are the only two definite absentees, with the former facing a long spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury against Walton Casuals last week.

Lovell also announced that he is hoping to add to his squad before Wednesday and if a deal is completed you will hear it first on this website.

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Homelands Latest

From the manager:

Town manager Steve Lovell reflects on a morale boosting win in the week and urges his side to take that form into this weekend’s crucial league clash with Whyteleafe.
After a long lay-off from football the Nuts and Bolts turned in an impressive performance to overcome Ryman North side VCD Athletic in the Kent Senior Cup and Lovell was understandably delighted with his players resolve:
“It was a really good performance by the lads, especially after such a long lay-off. They showed great levels of fitness and played some lovely football, particularly in the first-half when we cut them open on numerous occasions. I was happy with the way we created chances aswell, too many times this season we haven’t tested our opponents enough but on Tuesday the midfield created openings and we looked sharp in attack. Also, despite one lapse in concentration for their goal we looked very solid at the back and in the end I thought we were quite comfortable so it was very pleasing.”
Lovell handed a first start to Tom Murphy, at Homelands on work experience from Gillingham, and the youngster struck his first goal for the club with a delicate dink over the keeper which pleased his manager:
“Tom played very well and took a lot of the pressure off Mark [Lovell] because he made some very intelligent runs and showed great energy. His performance deserved a goal and he got it - it was a superb finish and it set us up nicely. We are delighted to have him here and he will only get better.”
The defence looked a lot more solid than prior to Christmas and the manager singled out his centre backs for special praise:
“Laurence Harvey was excellent again the other night, he really is coming on leaps and bounds now. He won his headers and made some great covering challenges. I was very pleased with his display. Danny Lye was also superb alongside him - they were solid and that’s extremely promising.”
Town travel to Whyteleafe on Saturday in desperate need of the points to drag themselves away from the relegation zone in Ryman South and Lovell is hopeful the win in the week will breed new confidence across the team:
“We know we are in a tough position in the league and we are under no illusions about the size of the task ahead of us to climb up the table but we have players coming back to fitness now and Tuesday showed just a glimpse of what these players can do. We need to take this form into Saturday and I’m sure if we play like that again, keep concentrating and take our chances then we can pick up the points.”
And for the team news:
“Carl Harrold and Ryan Norman are both doubts for Saturday after picking up knocks on Tuesday so we will make a late decision on them but we have Lee Hockey back from suspension to fill in if required. Paul Jones will be back aswell and Joe Fuller will continue his comeback. In goal Scott [Chalmer-Stevens] is still probably a couple of games away from full fitness despite playing in the week, and although Josh Willis is back at the club and played for the reserves in the week, Darren [Ibrahim] will keep his place in goal on Saturday. He hasn’t let us down in last few league games so he deserves to keep his place.”
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Homelands pitch update

Despite valiant attempts to remove much of the snow from the Homelands playing surface last evening, the majority of the pitch is still covered leaving Saturday match against Worthing in serious doubt.
The stand areas have been successfully cleared to comply with health and safety, plus the majority of the road leading up to Homelands but still some six inches remain on some areas of the pitch. This is despite around 60 giant snowballs being rolled in an attempt to clear some of the snow. One part that has been cleared is the troublesome area in front of the stand that has been protected by a sheet. Over sheeted areas, the goalmouths and centre circle, are to be tackled next.
The league have given all Ryman clubs permission to call off games as early as Friday morning so a decision on Saturday’s game could be made then. Please visit the website tomorrow for further updates.

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Interview with the manager (that was due to appears in Jan 2nd's programme)

Today we, the matchday programme (MP), talk to Town manager Steve Lovell (SL) as he openly talks about his side’s poor first-half to the season and how he expects the rest of the season to pan out.

MP: Thanks for talking to us Steve. How do you assess the first-half of the season?
SL:
We have obviously struggled and didn’t expect to be where we are at this stage but we know that this is a tough league and before the season, with all the on-field changes we had to make, we knew it would be hard to impose ourselves. Now we are in a battle at the wrong end of the season ad we have to do something about it. There is no point in looking back now; we have to look forward and start performing out on the pitch. I’m sure there are a few players that can give a little more so hopefully we ca change our season round.
MP: You have touched on the fact that things haven’t gone as well as hoped for - why do you think this is?
SL:
We lost an awful lot of experience over the summer and this has been a big loss. Last season there were players out there who could calm a game down and take it by the scruff of the neck - we seem to be lacking that this season. A lot of young players have had to come in and play in difficult circumstances and have done well but they are players for the future - not necessarily now. There is no substitute for experience at this level. Injuries have also hit us badly, with many important players picking up knocks at crucial stages in the season. On the other side of the coin we haven’t helped ourselves as we have made far too many mistakes and conceded too many sloppy goals. We really have to start defending better - no-one means to make mistakes but they are unacceptable at times and we have shot ourselves in the foot on more than one occasion so far. The players are good enough, there is no doubt about that but at times they haven’t done their jobs properly. I have said this in the press more than once this season. The players have admitted it themselves at times. We have a good understanding as a unit.
MP: Was it hard to gel a largely new side together at the start of the season?
SL:
It’s always difficult to get a new team to click immediately and we are certainly still working on it but I can’t fault the attitude of the lads - they are a pleasure to work with and are willing to learn. Still, they need to start learning quickly because Hugo and I can only do what we can in the way of preparation and tactics, once they cross that white line it is down to them to do the business. We will keep working at it though and I’m sure they will come good.
MP: As you already mentioned, injuries have hit us hard this season. How frustrating is it to see some of your better players on the treatment table?
SL:
It has hit us hard, there is no doubt about that. Just when we got Mark Lovell back Paul Jones got injured so we couldn’t pair them together but we covered it with the impressive form of Joe Fuller. He then got injured so it has been a bit of a nightmare. Then our two goalkeepers were crocked so we struggled in that position even though Darren Ibrahim has done a good job there recently. Losing Toby Ashmore has also been a massive blow as he was just beginning to build a great understanding with Lee Hockey at the back. We haven’t had much luck so far this season and the injury list epitomises this but we just have to get on with it.
MP: With injuries hampering the squad recently, the fans may have been expecting a few new acquisitions but they haven’t materialised as yet. Why is this?
SL:
We are certainly on the lookout for new blood all the time but I want to bring in players that I’m sure will improve the current playing squad and they are hard to come by, especially on the budget that we have this season. Hopefully though, we will have a couple of new faces in before today’s match as there are areas we do need to improve in. Also we are going to have to play around 15 games during January and February so we will need a strong squad if we want to string a few results together to help us move up the table.
MP: You have had to rely on a lot of youngsters so far this season. Who has impressed you?
SL:
Yes, we have had to bring in a lot of the young boys to help us out, it’s good experience for them but not as good for us as we can’t rely on the youngsters to get us out of this tough position. None of them have let us down so far though. I think Laurence Harvey has come in, in recent weeks, and is doing a very good job. For such a young player he shows a lot of composure and he will only get better, we just don’t want his confidence dented from an early age. Carl Harrold also started the season well for us. He is strong in the tackle and has got a great engine. Recently his form has dipped slightly but this is expected as the youngsters can’t perform at their highest standard week in, week out - that comes with experience. Another player who has impressed me is Steve Springett, he has got better and better as his loan spell has gone on. He is also a top lad and wants to learn the game. We will miss him when his loan period expires. When he goes we will have to try and fill that gap - it may mean a change in formation. We have tried three at the back on occasions and it has helped our forward play so it’s something Hugo and I might look at in the coming weeks.
MP: The league looks very open. Are we in a false position?
SL:
Well, the league doesn’t lie and, at the moment, we are bottom. If you look at the stats we haven’t scored enough goals and have conceded too many - it is a simple equation really. But, as you said, it is an open league and as I keep saying, teams beat each other all over the place so we have to look to put a run of wins together and that will see us move up the table. So far this season we haven’t really been good enough - we have to turn this round sooner rather than later.
MP: It must be hard for a manager when the team is struggling. Are you still enjoying it at Homelands?
SL:
I absolutely love it at this club. I have copped a fair lot of stick from certain sections of the support but it doesn’t bother me. I will never give this job up - we have a long term plan for Ashford and I’m here to see it through. Fans can criticise me as much as they like but I won’t let it get to me. The true fans know what we are trying to do here at the club and we all just have to stick together and push forward in the same direction. Unless I’m told otherwise I will continue to work had for this football club and I’m sure, with a bit of luck, our fortunes will change on the football pitch. It will certainly help if everyone sticks together.
MP: What are your hopes for the second half of the season?
SL:
I would love to turn round and say that we will go on a winning run, like we did last season, and push for a play-off place but we have to be realistic and firstly get out of trouble at the foot of the table. We can’t be in the bottom few come the end of the season and I’m sure we won’t be. We have to look to use this campaign as a consolidation period and then push on with our long term plan next season. We have more than enough quality in this squad to get out of trouble; couple that with the return of some crucial players, from injury, and I’m confident that we can have an improved second-half of the season.
MP: Thanks for talking to us Steve. Is there anything else you would like to add?
SL:
I would just like to wish everyone at the club a Happy New Year and thank the fans for their continued support. Hopefully 2010 will bring us some much needed success.