Ashford rugby skipper John Norman accused his players of lacking desire, before launching a separate attack on the players that cried off, after the 47-6 defeat at Erith on Saturday.

The defeat was Ashford’s fifth in a row and leaves them sitting ninth in Kent 1, with a real danger of relegation to Kent 2.

“The Ashford side on the day must shoulder a lot of the blame for the poor performance,” said Norman. “It lacked not only basic rugby skills but more importantly it lacked spirit, heart and desire.

“I also feel that some of the responsibility must lie with the team members who, for various reasons, were not available to travel to Erith for the game.

“All players need to understand how hard this makes things and gives the club no chance to progress and gain confidence and league points.

“Many thanks go to all the regulars that train and play week in, week out. This is the only way forward.”

Ashford have signed-up Martin Kelly and Richard Reeves to help club coach Tony Kendall as they look to turn their fortunes around.