We're good enough to stay up, insists Ashford boss Thorogood (EXCLUSIVE)

Tim Thorogood takes his Ashford Town side to fourth placed Tooting & Mitcham United on Saturday – insisting “we're good enough to stay up,” writes Stephen McCartney.

The Homelands club are in a precarious position in the Ryman League Division One table –  languishing just one point clear of the drop zone, but they have enough games to get enough points to stave off relegation.

”We’re not running out of games,” Thorogood insisted.  “If we were we’d be relegated, so we’re not running out of games.

”We run out of games when it’s mathematically impossible to stay up.”

Ashford are six points behind Lymington & New Milton – who travel to Tonbridge Angels - in the table but are just one point clear of Newport IOW (25 points) with Corinthian Casuals (22) at the foot but haven't won in five league games.

Following their trip to the impressive Imperial Fields stadium, Ashford host second placed Horsham on 25^th March.

But Thorogood hasn’t set his side any targets in their last remaining nine games.

He said: “Things can change, we’re not dead and buried and we’re in a better position than we were this time last year.

”As far as I’m concerned we’ve got a better side than we had last year.

”I don’t set targets, we take it one game at a time.  At the end of the day all the games are difficult – we just have to get some results.”

Since switching from the Southern League to the Ryman League, Ashford have endured a torrid time, escaping the drop by just one point last term.

Thorogood did, however, take positives from their goal-less friendly draw at their Ryman Premier League neighbours Folkestone Invicta on Monday night.

”I felt the reserve lads that came in did great with one or two good performances,” he said.  “Folkestone played a strong side.  We played very well on the night and both sides could have won the game.  A draw of any score was a fair result.

”If we can put that performance against a side in the premier league we can do that against sides in our league.  Side’s like Dover or Kingstonian can tell you that.

Thorogood added: "I don't think we have got a problem - but of course we're good enough to stay up."

Tommy Adlington (gashed foot that needed stitches after the Folkestone game), Peter Mortley (groin) and Ian Ross (hamstring) are all doubts.

Ashford Town's run-in:
March: 18 (a) Tooting & Mitcham United, 25 (H) Horsham.
April:  1 (a) Corinthian Casuals, 4 (H) Croydon Athletic, 8 (H) Bashley, 15 (a) Walton Casuals, 17 (H) Hastings United, 22 (a) Ramsgate, 29 (H) Molesey.