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Ashford striker David Smith has been tipped to play higher after scoring four goals in one game.
The former Dover and Sittingbourne man ran riot at Three Bridges on Monday, leading United to a 5-0 win.
He brings something different to the Nuts & Bolts attack and boss Tommy Warrilow can see real potential.
“I’ve tried getting him a couple of times,” Warrilow said. “We got him in on a contract this year and like I said to him, he just needs to go in and play. If you have a nightmare, don’t worry about it, just get on with it.
“I’ve not put him under any pressure but I think the lad’s got something. People forget he’s just 20 years old and I think he’s got everything to push on.
“We just need to be patient, work with him and now he’s on contract, all he’s got to do is play.
“He’s a classic example that if you get four goals, and another four goals, someone might put seven days and he might have gone, it’s a short-term thing and he’s come unstuck and gone back to square one.
“But here, he just keeps playing and playing and if he does go, he’ll go for the right reasons. But it’s still early days and he’s still finding his feet.”
Smith has scored five times in his first two league games for Ashford and he’ll be aiming to add to that tally against Burgess Hill on Saturday.
Warrilow said: “He’s a really level-headed lad but he should be confident. He’s got every attribute to make centre-halves be afraid of him and if he uses them, he’s going to get what he did on Monday.
“Sometimes he makes his own goals but sometimes we do from open play. Him and Jay May, with little Levi Gold and Tashi-Jay Kwayie, we’ve got a good group of forwards up there, all fighting for places.
“With forwards, it is a confidence thing and hopefully Dave is building his confidence as we progress.”
Smith’s partnership with the vastly experienced May is bound to aid his development.
Warrilow said: “That’s what I said to him when I was trying to sign him. I said ‘you’ve got a lad here who’s different to you and he’ll help you with your game, talking you through the game’.
“Jay’s not a shouter or a hollerer, he’ll talk to him and I know that if he’s talking to him, he’ll be talking sense and that’ll only help Dave as well.”
Tom O’Connor and Hassan Ibrahiym have both been unwell this week but should feature against Burgess Hill at Homelands at the weekend.
Warrilow said: “We’ve made a good start and if we stay positive, we’ll reap the benefits. Burgess Hill are another tough nut to crack.
“It’s our first home league game and hopefully we can keep doing what we’ve been doing. The most important thing is to win and then address the performances afterwards.”
