Hythe have moved quickly to replace defender Scott Doe, who has left Reachfields for the second time this season.

They’ve signed ex-Margate and Ramsgate centre-half Ollie Gray from Whitstable after Doe accepted an offer from Barnstaple.

Doe, whose former clubs include Aldershot and Dover, originally joined the Cannons under former boss Steve Watt last summer.

He departed shortly before Watt’s resignation but returned under new boss James Rogers.

He’s on the move again but the Cannons have a decent replacement in Gray.

“Scott came back when we needed some experience,” said player-boss Rogers.

“He’s been made an offer he couldn’t refuse by Barnstaple, and I’m gutted to lose him, but he’s got a family to support.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him, he’s had a great career and he’s still a great player.

“He’ll be missed but I understand his reasons and I’m happy to be able to get Ollie in.

“We put a seven-dayer in for him and if he stays injury-free, he’ll be a really good signing for us.”

Rogers expects Frannie Collin and Jarred Trespaderne to get a good reception when they return to Reachfields with Ashford.

The pair signed for the Nuts & Bolts in January, Collin having taken a break over Christmas after leaving Hythe, while Trespaderne joined him at Homelands a week later.

They’ll be back at their old club on Saturday when the Cannons meet Ashford in a Kent derby that carries significance at both ends of Isthmian South East.

Hythe, beaten 3-0 at Burgess Hill last weekend, aren’t yet clear of relegation concerns, while the visitors are battling for promotion.

“It adds a bit of spice when you’ve got two lads that have left you coming back,” said Rogers.

“Fran and Jazz are both good players, they were well-liked by me, the board and the fans, and they were popular in the changing room.

"I’m sure they’ll get a nice welcome back but as soon as that whistle goes, we want to beat them.

“Tom (Ashford boss Tommy Warrilow) has been around and knows his stuff so for us to go up against them, we can see how far we’ve come since we’ve taken over.

“I keep saying if we win our home games, we’ll be fine.

“That’s what will keep us up and if we nick points here and there away, that’s a bonus.

“We’ll definitely be going for the win against Ashford.

“They’re a well-drilled side who all know their jobs and they’ve got players who make a difference but we won’t fear them, we’ll be looking to get after them.”

The Burgess Hill defeat was just a second loss in six games for Hythe and Rogers had no complaints at the result.

They still have a handy six-point cushion over the bottom three but were their own worst enemies at the weekend as mistakes crept back in.

“We didn’t get going in the first half and conceded a really poor goal,” said Rogers.

“Second half, we had a few chances, Riley Alford missed a one-on-one and Luca Woodhouse hit the bar but they scored a worldie second from an overhead kick and got a late third.

“They were good value for the win, I’ve no gripes with the result.

“We made too many mistakes and players have got to learn quickly because we’re looking for next season, potentially, if we’re still here, and if a player is making too many mistakes, it’s tough to hold on to them.

“I’m guilty as well, I made mistakes I wouldn’t normally make, but we’ve been on a decent run so I don’t want to hammer anyone too much.

“I feel we’ve got players who can make a difference in games but there will be inconsistency with all teams at this level.

“One week you might look a million dollars and the next week you might not turn up. It’s one of those things you have to take.

“We walked into a tough situation where we were losing key players, the budget had been cut, and we lost players to injuries for sustained periods, people like Tom Walmsley, Alex Brown, myself, Tom Wynter, Charlie Webster.

“Most of those boys would pretty much walk into any team in the league when they’re fit.

“They’ve been a big miss, and it’s been difficult to cope with that, but I feel we’ve come out the other side, and we’ve got a competitive team.”