Ashford boss Tommy Warrilow couldn’t believe his luck when his new striker suffered a knee injury half an hour after signing.

Warrilow was delighted to complete a deal for Carshalton forward Vance Bola, who scored 15 goals for Margate last season.

The ink was barely dry on the forms when the forward was crocked playing with friends at the Goals football centre in Bexleyheath.

“His knee ballooned up, he’ll be out for a while,” said Warrilow.

“There’s a lot of swelling at the minute, which is disappointing, because he’s a great signing for us.

“He was just having a sweat-up, where he hadn’t been playing, and that happens.

“What are the chances of signing someone and then, half an hour later, they get injured?

“There’s no point letting him go, we’ll wait for him to get fit. He’ll be a big miss but what can you do?”

Warrilow is hoping for better luck with his other new recruits as Ashford prepare to host Cray Valley in a repeat of last season’s Isthmian South East play-off semi-final this Saturday (3pm).

He’s brought midfielder Mikey Dalton back to Homelands from Chatham along with forward Jack Godfrey, a player he worked with at Thamesmead.

There could also be another new face before the weekend, with a player Warrilow pursued in the summer becoming available again.

“I’m pleased to get Dalts back, he’s done his reputation no harm in the time he’s been away,” said Warrilow.

“Jack’s one who was playing Sunday football when he came to us at Thamesmead.

“He’s an absolute nuisance, he’s full of pace and works his socks off. I wouldn’t want to play against him as a centre-half because he chases down everything.

“He phoned me out of the blue, his work situation’s changed and he’s looking to get back playing.”

Warrilow was disappointed with the manner of Ashford’s FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round exit at the weekend.

Lanre Azeez put them in front against Kings Langley but the visitors levelled from a disputed penalty on the stroke of half-time and scored the winner from a corner that should have been an Ashford goal-kick.

“Two bad decisions have gone against us but I’m not happy with the way we performed in the second half,” said Warrilow.

“I’m more angry than disappointed because it was a real opportunity to get through and we didn’t take it.

“There’s a way of going out, and we should have done better than we did. It does stick in the throat but we’ve got to get our heads down now and focus on the league, which is the most important thing.”

Ashford go into the Cray Valley game in fourth place, four points behind leaders Ramsgate with two games in hand.

“Like us, they’ve lost a few players but they’ve kept quite a few too,” said Warrilow.

“I don’t look back at last year, that’s gone. Whoever we’re playing, I treat everyone with the same respect.”