Danny Kedwell believes the busy Christmas and New Year period will shape Ashford’s season.

The Nuts & Bolts face four games in 10 days, a run manager Kedwell feels will determine their Isthmian South East play-off credentials.

They’re six points outside the top five, in 10th place, after losing a 3-1 at home to struggling Phoenix Sports at the weekend.

Ashford visit Hythe on Boxing Day (1pm), followed by home games against Erith Town this Saturday and title-chasing Sittingbourne on New Year’s Day (both 3pm).

A trip to Steyning Town Community follows on January 4 (also 3pm).

“After you come out of these games, you see where you are,” said Kedwell, whose team had won six of their previous eight league matches before losing to Phoenix.

“I think a lot of teams look at it and go, ‘We’re not going to go down, we’re not going to be in the play-offs’ after this period, or you get that, ‘Shall we go for it?’ thing.

“It’s a busy period.

“We’ll see whether we’re going to be fighting for the play-offs or if we’ll be just short, and then we have to decide whether we need to strengthen or go with what we’ve got.”

Boxing Day opponents Hythe are in the bottom four but Kedwell feels that’s a false position, judging by the side opposite number Nick Davis has assembled.

“I know they’ve signed some good players,” said Kedwell.

“It’s a bit like us, he’s building, isn’t he?

“He’s brought in some quality, like Ellis Brown, who was at Folkestone last year.

“They’ve got dangers, they’re going to be good on their day.

“When you look at their squad, you don’t think they should be where they are.

“There’ll probably come a point where they pick up some great results, especially at their ground.

“Hopefully the Phoenix game gives us a kick up the bum and we’ll go for it on Boxing Day.”

Ashford conceded in the opening minute at home to Phoenix and were 2-0 down by the time top scorer Gary Lockyer was shown a straight red card before the break.

The 10 men were back in business when Matt Bodkin replied at the start of the second half but the Nuts & Bolts were picked off as Phoenix scored a late third.

Kedwell had been wary of facing the division’s bottom side, and his concerns were valid.

“It was a bad start,” said Kedwell. “They scored within 40 seconds and it’s like, ‘Here we go’.

“We were the better team, we played the better football, we created more chances but didn’t really test the keeper.

“They were half-chances but you’ve got to make those half-chances into proper chances.

“It just wasn’t a great day and then when we’re 2-0 down and Gary gets sent off before half-time, you’re thinking it’s game over and done with.

“But I still believed in the boys, even with 10 men, and Bods got us off the mark early doors in the second half.

“That’s all you can do at half-time, get them to believe and have that desire to go out and do everything they can.

“We weren’t great but we still gave it a go. Every single one of them did. It was just one of those days.

“The performance wasn’t us but you know what football’s like, you have a great run and you play a lower team and expect to win but it doesn’t work like that.”

Lockyer faces a three-game ban following his red card, for an alleged stamp.

He’s free to face Hythe, with the suspension kicking in against Erith Town.

“Someone said he stamped on their player but I don’t think the referee or linesman saw it, so it’s a bit of a weird one,” said Kedwell.

“If you don’t see it, how can you send him off?

“It’s guesswork because the bloke’s on the floor and they’re all shouting.

“If it was a red, I’ll have a look at it and see what he has done.

“We go three steps forward and six back. It’s mental.

“We’ve got a few suspensions now and Gary will miss three games.

“You think, ‘We’re back, we’ve got everyone coming back, we’re getting great results’, and then it’s like, ‘No, mate, you aren’t going anywhere’. It’s crazy.

“It’s been like this all season, little things, like Erith haven’t got a game on Boxing Day.

“How does that happen that they aren’t playing and we are and then we play them two days later?”