Sittingbourne joint-manager Jim Ward has challenged strikers Hicham Akhazzan and Joe Nwoko to fight their way back into the team.

Akhazzan, pictured, and Nwoko started the season as key men in Bourne’s three-pronged attack but have fallen behind Joe Taylor, Tom Loynes and Ryan Golding in the pecking order.

The workrate of Loynes and the goals of Taylor and Golding have helped Bourne climb to ninth in Ryman League Division 1 South ahead of the home game against Corinthian-Casuals on Saturday.

Ward said: "If you play well you keep the shirt, so it’s up to Joe and Hicham to stay patient and fight for a place in the team.

"It would have been difficult to imagine them not being in the side at the start of the season, but Ryan through the middle with Tom and Joe coming in off the flanks is an exciting combination. They’re causing so many problems there’s no way we could leave them out at the moment."

Sittingbourne were beaten 4-0 at Maidstone in the first round of the League Cup on Tuesday.