Lloyd Blackman says Saturday’s Southern Counties League visit to Beckenham Town is the ideal opportunity for Ashford United to start another winning run.

Player assistant-manager Blackman admits United weren’t at their best in the 2-2 draw at Crowborough last week on a narrow bobbly surface, but says a trip to Eden Park Avenue should be better.

The game is the first meeting between the two clubs since the Kent Senior Trophy final at Tonbridge in April when ugly scenes after the final whistle saw the presentation abandoned, and both sides fined and kicked out of the competition.

Blackman, not at the club at the time, said: “We haven’t spoken a single word about what happened then this week. It’s a big game in itself, with enough riding on it.

“I have never played there before myself, but the lads say it is a lovely surface to play on, which will suit us.”

United’s last win was a month ago at Croydon, with this their fourth successive game on the road.

Blackman added: “I don’t think we are playing well enough, but there is not a lack of confidence. We know if we all stick together, we will get ourselves out of this little run, and that the next win will come sooner or later. This is definitely a tough one though.”

United will look to improve on the display in the 2-2 at Crowborough last week, when they conceded both goals from penalties.

Blackman admitted: “We started very slowly and were poor. We never looked right individually, and too many players had a bad day.

“We have to look at ourselves and the decisions we made in the build-up to both incidents.”

Blackman also expressed sympathy for fellow striker Connor Coyne after the United substitute, on-loan from Folkestone, blazed over from five yards in the 90th minute.
He said: “I have missed plenty of chances like that in my career, and drew on those experiences to help him because he was understandably disappointed.”