More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
By Joe Harbert
Tommy Warrilow has urged his Ashford United players to continue winning games and mount pressure upon their promotion rivals if they are to remain as league leaders.
United, who beat high-flying Chichester 3-2 in West Sussex on Tuesday after losing the reverse fixture on Saturday by the same scoreline, remain top of Isthmian South East on goal difference, although they have played two games more than second-placed Hastings.
However, Warrilow has called on his team to keep pushing in a division full of unpredictability.
“You never know what can happen in this league, so if we keep winning and stay top it just puts pressure on the teams around us to have to win,” the 55-year-old said.
“We lost on Saturday but played well, and then got a huge three points on Tuesday against a good side – Chichester are organised and in the second-half they played with a free spirit and nothing to lose.
“They threw everything at us, so it was a massive result in difficult conditions that keeps us in the hat, especially with Hastings winning as well.
“As a team we don’t draw many games, and even at the weekend with 10 men we were still positive and stayed with two up top – the thing we’ve just got to tidy up on is taking our chances.”
Warrilow, whose side have now won 11 of their last 14 in the league as well as scoring a league-high 74 goals, has also praised new striker George Purcell ahead of this weekend’s match at VCD Athletic.
The 31-year-old, who joined United last month from Great Wakering Rovers, netted three times in the team’s double-header against the Sussex outfit in the past week, and the Ashford boss believes his new signing could prove pivotal for the Nuts & Bolts.
Warrilow added: “We had George at Tonbridge, so we know what we’re going to get out of him.
“He’s a real handful and he showed in the first-half on Tuesday that he can be different class, especially with his finishing and his movement.
“His season has been stop-start so far, but he’s enjoying his football at the moment and is only going to get better and become a massive asset for us.
“He’ll help out Dave Smith and Jay May too, which means we can now go into games against good sides such as on Saturday with a great squad, even without lads that can’t play.”
