Ashford United boss Tommy Warrilow is working hard on bringing in extra reinforcement for the promotion run-in.

The Nuts & Bolts have 11 games left of their Isthmian South East season and trail leaders Hastings United by 10 points, with a game in hand. Warrilow is looking to see if he can add to a squad that has already served him well.

They host second-placed Cray Valley this Saturday.

Warrilow said: “I have spoken to loads of players. Some of the players I speak to don’t want to drop down. You can throw money at them but I don’t want to do that, I don’t think that is the right thing to do.

“You can create a monster. Once a player gets a massive deal and everyone knows about it, you then have a yardstick that they all bat off.

“I am waiting on a couple of players. I have been in this position before, I know heading into this last bit we need to make the squad bigger but I have never known a season like it with injuries.

“I brought two players in for Boxing Day and then two players got injured on the pitch. We picked up another injury on Saturday.

“I am looking to strengthen the squad and we need bodies but not just any bodies. I want to bring something in to improve us.

“You shake the tree and hope something falls out, if it doesn’t then all you do is keep shaking it, things change week-to-week. We are doing something and we know what we need, we don’t need a lot. It has to be right.

“Saturday was a big result (beating lowly Whitstable 3-1), we were on a hiding to nothing on the worst day of the year so far (weather-wise) and to go 1-0 down, the boys dug in and showed a different side that people might not have seen before, they rallied and performed well and it could have been a lot more.”

It’s a challenge from one of the leading sides this weekend, but Warrilow insists every opponent gets the same treatment.

He said: “I was just as concerned about Whitstable away as them at home. I respect every side in this league and there are always results that get thrown up, no easy games.

“We will look at a few things we could do better, we will talk to the boys about different aspects of the game, I only get the hump if we lose and we look disorganised, they know what they should be doing, when they don’t do it, that is when I get annoyed, but we have a good set of lads and they’ve been up there all season.”

There’s a gap to the top but it’s one that can be closed still.

Warrilow said: “There are still 33 points to play for and it is so tight, it is too early to call still.

“Last week, we were 10 points behind, a game in hand and thinking positively that could be seven. Hastings got a 90th-minute winner last week, they could have dropped two, it could have been down to five in one week, you never say never.

“I have been managing a long time, people look at things miles too early, this isn’t over yet.”