17thoct04

Club must go full time, insists Gravesend boss Ford

GRAVESEND & NORTHFLEET manager Andy Ford believes his squad must go full-time before they can make a real impression at the top of the Conference.

Speaking to the Non-League Paper, Ford, who has watched his side enjoy a good start to the season, warned supporters that there is still plenty of hard work to be done at Stonebridge Road.

"I'm full-time but the players aren't and that's the next step hopefully," said the manager.

"We're not yet there yet, but we're still expected to compete against the full-time boys."

Speaking after Saturday's 1-1 draw against Exeter City, whose new manager, former Leatherhead manager Alex Inglethorpe officially starts on Monday, Ford added: "We didn't get going in the first half and looked like we had lost our last two (games).

"When you are winning you have a sharpness - and we didn't have that today.

"I'm going to look at the video to see if it was a penalty, but it looked like it.  It would have been rough justice if we had got nothing out of the game.

"We can't get three points every time we want.  When I spoke to Steve Perryman (Exeter) before the game he said they have a computer that does statistical analysis on free kick's etc.

"That's just shows how far ahead they are.  We do well to compete, but I thought today we could have done better."