2ndnov05A

Wednesday 02nd November 2005

Cumberbatch: We must take our chances
EXCLUSIVE

Ashford Town skipper Marc Cumberbatch insists his team-mates have to start converting their chances in order to climb the Ryman League Division One table, writes Stephen McCartney.

The 21-year-old defender, who started his career with the academy sides at Crystal Palace and Colchester United before moving onto Barnet and Erith & Belvedere, was visibly dejected following their 2-0 defeat at Dulwich Hamlet last night - their eighth league defeat of the season.

And with only five sides below them in the table, Cumberbatch insists squandered chances have cost the Nuts & Bolts this season.

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with www.kentishfootball.co.uk, Cumberbatch felt they should have got more out of a dire game at Champion Hill.

"We missed our chances and gave away sloppy goals - don't know what to say really," he said.

"To be fair, we're playing some good games and a lot of the time we're not finishing our chances.

"We're dominating games and creating chances - we're just not putting them away. We're making some silly mistakes at the back due to our chances not being finished."

In a game of very few clear-cut chances, Cumberbatch felt strikers Shaun Bradshaw and Steve Humphrey should have scored.

"Yet again, we've had chances early in the first half and had two chances in the second half but haven't taken them.

"So if we're not going to score goals we aren't going to win any games really."

Goals are coming hard to come by for Ashford this season and have failed to find the target in seven games, with strikers Bradshaw (4 goals), Joby Thorogood (4) and Humphrey (3) not firing on all cylinders.

Cumberbatch, however, was forced to play at right-back last night as Tom Adlington (work commitments in Scotland) was not available and Joby Thorogood was forced to play out wide as Solomon Henry - who replaced him as a 58th minute substitute - was a late arrival.

And Cumberbatch, who tried to inspire his team-mates, added: "We just need to start finishing. I don't know if we necessary need new strikers in, maybe we could be a bit luckier but we still need a bit more quality and more composure in front of goal."

Looking ahead to their trip to Christchurch Road on Saturday, he added: "We've got to win it. We just have to pick ourselves up and get a result."

Lymington & New Milton v Ashford Town
Ryman League Division One
Saturday 5th November 2005
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Fawcetts Field, Christchurch Road, New Milton, Hampshire BH25 6QB