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Boss Tommy Warrilow knows where he needs to strengthen his Ashford squad as they aim to reignite their promotion push.
Four losses in six Isthmian South East games have left them outside the play-off places in seventh.
They were defeated 4-1 at home to Chatham last weekend, with striker Johan ter Horst starting in midfield while recent recruits Michael Dome-Bemwin and Beau Cook-Bartholomew made their debuts in the middle of the park.
It’s an area of Warrilow’s squad he’s eager to bolster after the departures of Toby Ajala, Mikey Dalton and Jarred Trespaderne.
“We’re light in midfield,” said Warrilow, who was without skipper Liam Friend due to a hamstring injury.
“Defensively, I’m happy although, obviously, Friendy was a miss. Charlie [Dickens] came in and did well.
"But we need to strengthen the midfield area.”
On Friend, Warrilow added: “He wasn’t fit the previous Saturday. We’ll just have to see how he is.
"That’s the sort of thing that’s happening at the moment.
“It’s about character, you have to have something about you. I’ve said to [assistant] Alex O’Brien that I’m annoyed and frustrated, but I’m not going to jump up and down at the boys because I don’t think they didn’t give their all.
“I’m disappointed but they, physically, were bigger than us. Two of their goals are from a corner and a set-piece, and another is from a penalty.
“It’s nice to see what’s going on there but my priority is to sort out what’s going on down here.
"I’ve got another week to try and sort things out.
“We’ll have another week of moaning - which is fair enough because we’ve lost again - but it’s not through a lack of trying.”
This Saturday, the Nuts & Bolts are at Haywards Heath. Like Ashford, last season they made the play-offs but now sit in mid-table.
Ashford will aim to do the double over them after they beat them 4-0 in November.
“I’m not sure what’s gone on there - and I don’t really care to be honest - because I’ve got my own battles,” said Warrilow.
“I haven’t got a dog in that fight, as they say.
“But that’s going to be another tough game. There’s no easy games in this league.”
Warrilow also commented on the departure of forward Gil Carvalho, who has joined promotion rivals Ramsgate - who on Monday parted company with ex-Gillingham boss Steve Lovell - while loan forward George Nikaj has again returned to National League South Dover.
On Carvalho’s exit, Warrilow said on Saturday: “He’s got a better deal.
"We’d had three approaches for him and we’ve lost five or six players in the last two weeks. But that’s football.
“It’s not good for us but we can still take it as a compliment that they’re taking our players. We can’t do a lot about it, unless we put them all on contract!
“Everyone knows there’s some stupid money flying around in our league at the moment and players have got kids and mortgages to pay.
“It’s not a case of getting a couple of quid more. It’s a significant difference.
“Obviously, Ramsgate are up the top as well and they’ve a good overall set-up. He decided he was going to go and I can’t do anything about that."
Ashford on Tuesday are at sixth-placed Whitehawk.
