Ashford United have not given up hope of catching Cray Wanderers for the league title.

It’s a huge ask given Wands are 13 points clear at the top of Bostik South East – but stranger things have happened.

Ashford are flying, having won six games in a row and taken 37 of a possible 42 points since early November.

Manager Tommy Warrilow said: “We’ve lost one in 11 so you can’t fault that. You just keep chalking them off.

“Fair play to Cray because they keep chalking them off as well but that’s got to be our target now.

“Until it’s mathematically impossible, we’d be mad not to think we can catch them.

“There are still 12 games to play so 36 points to play for.

“It drives a few people mad in my coaching staff but I always work out the maximum points we can get and once they’ve gone past that, they’re not catchable.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I said we couldn’t catch them but at the same time, two or three losses and we can go the other way as well.

“I’m not one of those managers who thinks ‘all good things must come to an end’. You earn that and we’ve definitely earned it.

“There’s still plenty more to come from us and we’re not getting carried away.

“It’s fantastic form and with the strongest squad now we’ve had since we’ve been there, I’m hoping we can just carry on.”

Ashford have won nine games since Warrilow replaced Gary Alexander as manager, losing just one and drawing the other.

He said: “There was a big fanfare about the way things were done but that’s got nothing to do with me.

“We’ve brought six players in so we’ve mixed and matched it up and we’ve stayed within budget.

“It’s a time factor. Football moves on and the boys are beginning to buy in with and without the ball, which is vital now.”

Ashford’s next league game isn’t until February 16 so they’ve arranged two friendlies to keep ticking over.

Warrilow takes his side to Welling Town on Saturday (12.30pm) before Folkestone visit Homelands on Tuesday.

“I didn’t want to go 12 days without a game,” he said. “We had such a long break at Christmas and that might have been a factor as to why we lost to Hastings on New Year’s Day.

“Let’s get everyone some game time and just keep improving on what we’re doing.”