Tommie Fagg is clearly getting the message after firing Ashford to victory with a second-half hat-trick.

Midfielder Fagg’s treble saw the Nuts & Bolts beat Burgess Hill 3-1 in their Isthmian South East opener on Saturday.

Boss Tommy Warrilow has been working with Fagg on his positional play and it’s paying off.

He'll be looking for more of the same when the Nuts & Bolts visit Chatham in the FA Cup preliminary round on Saturday.

“I’m so pleased for Tommie,” said Warrilow.

“We’ve been saying about his positional sense and he chalked up a really good hat-trick.

“I don’t want him out wide or dropping too deep to go looking for the ball.

“My old Tonbridge player, Lee Minshull, who had a great career, was so good at getting on the ball in the centre of midfield and driving at people, and that’s what we want from Tommie.

“We don’t need him to go looking for the ball or sticking crosses in - we’ve got other people to do that.

“Supporting the front two, arriving from crosses, third-man runs, that’s what we’re looking for.

“He did well and it was a good win for us against a side who hadn’t lost in pre-season.

“It was a hot day, and it was hard for the boys. We should have been two or three up at half-time. We’ve talked about being more ruthless when we’re on top and we made it count in the second half.”

The Chatham cup tie sees new Ashford keeper Jordan Carey make a quick return to his old club having announced his retirement in the summer, aged just 22.

He’s had a change of heart and Warrilow is pleased to have him on board.

“I got his number out of the blue from another manager. I rang him and we had a good chat,” he said.

“Seven or eight clubs had been in touch with him but luckily enough he came down to us.

“He needs to get fitter but he had a solid debut.

“Everyone has their reasons for retiring but I think it’s something he would have regretted later in life if he hadn’t given it another go.

“He knows me well but it’s important he’s doing it for himself and because he wants to be here.”

Warrilow believes ambitious Chatham might even be favourites to beat his side on Saturday despite playing in a lower division.

Either way, it’ll be difficult game against a side known for their possession football.

Warrilow said: “They’ll be organised and structured, they’ve got match-winners in their side and lots of experience.

“We’re aware of their strengths and we’ll prepare properly.

“I don’t treat any game differently.

“Whether it’s Liverpool or Ramsgate, you treat them with the utmost respect and set your team up to try and win.

“You get spells in games where it’s not going your way and the important thing is not to panic.

“You have to stay organised and ride it out, which we did on Saturday when Burgess Hill had a little purple patch.

“It’s going to be an exciting cup tie between two Kent teams.

“I’m not one for putting pressure on other teams but I think we’re probably underdogs going there.

“It’s fantastic what they’re doing at Chatham. The facilities are fantastic and they’ve transformed the town a little bit.

“Hopefully they can achieve their goals and push on but I hope we win on Saturday!”

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