Manager Kevin Watson thinks Ashford’s opening-day Isthmian South East trip to newly-promoted Erith & Belvedere will be a good test of where his squad are at.

The new-look Nuts & Bolts, fresh from beating lower-division Hollands & Blair on Saturday to progress in the FA Cup, visit the Southern Counties East Premier Division champions.

The game will be played on Sunday with The Deres, who hammered division rivals Littlehampton 6-0 in the FA Cup, ground-sharing at Welling United.

Defender Finn O’Mara - who Watson and assistant Adam Flanagan worked with at Herne Bay last campaign - former Ramsgate boss Jamie Coyle, one-time Tottenham trialist Josh Ajayi and fellow frontman Chris Dickson are among Erith’s squad.

Watson said: “I think all teams are chasing their first win and points of the season.

“Erith & Belvedere have made some really strong signings.

“They’re well equipped and I think that was demonstrated in their FA Cup win on Sunday. It didn’t really surprise me, that result.

“They have been to see us and we have been to see them. I think that will be a good gauge of where we’re at.

“It’s interesting that it’s on Sunday, so we will probably go and see some games on Saturday.”

The start of Ashford’s league season comes after they won 3-0 at Southern Counties East Premier Division Blair to progress to the FA Cup Preliminary Round.

Watson said: “It’s always an interesting one, having an FA Cup tie first game back when you come to a club, isn’t it?

“You know cup ties are potential banana skins when you play teams in the league below.

“So it’s very pleasing, getting through and into the next round.”

Striker Ian Draycott, 35, bagged a brace while Alex Akrofi was also on the scoresheet.

“Draycs is someone we have known for some time,” Watson noted.

“He’s very experienced and has played at good levels.

“He keeps himself really fit, he just has that intelligence about the game.

“But also, he’s a good lad to have in the dressing room. He’s a calming influence.

“It’s pleasing he got two goals and also, in pre-season, he scored. So his record to date has been pretty good.”

But a defender was named Watson’s player-of-the-match.

He explained: “I was asked who our player-of-the-match was as a management team.

“I think it would have been easy to give it to Draycs - or one of the centre-halves, or the goalkeeper, for keeping a clean sheet.

“But in a game where we didn’t always have much of a structure or patterns, I thought Tom Carlse was very consistent throughout.

“Full-backs can, usually, go under the radar. The expectation is consistent performances, and Tom certainly delivered that.”

Ashford are yet to base themselves at their ground this term, though.

Work on the 3G pitch at Homelands is still ongoing ahead of their first home game of the campaign - against Beckenham in the FA Cup next Saturday.

Watson, who confirmed contingency plans have been put in place in case their surface isn’t ready, conceded: “As a management team, it’s sort of out of our hands, isn’t it?

“We have to trust and have faith in the people behind-the-scenes, who are doing all they can to get it sorted.

“But as Don [Crosbie, Ashford’s owner] has said, it’s not about rushing it.

“It’s about getting it right. We’re still not sure of the exact timescale.

“It’s also weather-dependent and I don’t expect as much rain at this time of year as we’ve had was expected.”

United pocketed £1,125 for their win over Hollands & Blair. Another £1,444 will be up for grabs in the next round.