I'm not saying that we're going to win the league, says Erith Town joint-manager Joe Ford

ERITH TOWN joint-manager Joe Ford says he’s not getting carried away with his side’s fine start to the season.

The Dockers are in third-place in the Southern Counties East Football League table after their surprise 2-1 win at Ashford United yesterday, the first game played on the club’s 3G playing surface at Homelands Stadium.

Erith Town have claimed 15 points from their opening 7 games and are only a couple of points behind leaders Hollands & Blair.

It is a marked improvement on last season when the club finished second from bottom of the table on 34 points from 38 games.

Ford, 25, who is joint-manager alongside his father Martin, was quick to remember how far the club has come since then.

“We were given the task of keeping the club up,” said Ford junior.

“It was a massive one and there’s no way the club, the structure and the hard work people behind the scenes shouldn’t been where it was in the league when we took on the club.

“It just goes to show what hard work can do and a bit of commitment and (beating Ashford) it’s massive for the club.

“After last year probably a lot of people had their doubts about the club whether we could be able to take it forward.

“We’ve brought in a whole new squad, lots of youngsters that you’ve seen today stepping up from under 18s football and putting in a shift in a senior team and coming down to beat Ashford, especially on the occasion as well when they’ve had their new pitch laid and a massive day for their club and we’ve come and spoilt the party which we asked the lads to do, so yes it’s a massive day for the club and we’re absolutely delighted.”

Hollands & Blair, Corinthian, Erith Town and Lordswood are all ahead of the quartet of big guns, Erith & Belvedere, Ashford United, Greenwich Borough and Tunbridge Wells.

Erith Town welcome 12^th placed Crowborough Athletic on Tuesday night.

“Good start but we’re not getting carried away or anything like that, it’s still early days,” said Ford.

“I keep saying this over and over again. There’s probably a lot of people who didn’t think we’d get off to the start that we did and I’m proud of the boys for that.

“Crowborough is going to be a tough game on Tuesday night. I know they haven’t started well but we went there towards the end of last season and we won.

“They’re a good outfit. A good organised outfit, the last time we played them anyway. I don’t know if they’ve changed any of their players or anything like that, but last time we played them they were organised with lots of youngsters involved.

“We go into Tuesday night now full of confidence.  Again, we’ll be looking to take three points because if you want to go on and be one of the teams in the league that people fear then you have to win on Tuesday night.

“We’re trying to turn this team into a team that will compete. I’m not saying that we’re going to win the league or anything like that. I’m not deluded about that because that’s probably too far ahead of us at the moment but just be competitive in every game we play and so far we’ve done that, which I’m proud off.”

Visit Erith Town’s website: www.erithtown.co.uk

Erith Town  v  Crowborough Athletic
Southern Counties East Football League
Tuesday 22^nd September 2015
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Badgers Sports Ground, Middle Park Avenue, Eltham, London SE9 5HT