Ashford travel to Tooting & Mitcham on Saturday and will be hoping for a similar result to their most recent away match, at Sutton, which yielded all three points in a 4-2 victory.  Last week’s thrilling win over Billericay, who then beat Dartford in midweek, has seen Ashford up to seventh place in the table but it will be far from easy at Tooting who sit two positions above the Tangerines, with a three point advantage.

The home side have come through three consecutive away matches in the League unbeaten, winning at both Aveley and Tonbridge Angels by a 2-1 scoreline and drawing at Hendon.  They were also leading by a single goal against an AFC Wimbledon side on Monday evening in the London Senior Cup before the match was abandoned due to the icy surface.  Prior to those three away league games they had lost 0-2 at home to Boreham Wood.

As far as the writer is aware, there are no new injury problems for Ashford who have had a full week to prepare and manager Jamie Lawrence may well be set to name an unchanged side tomorrow although he will also have the option of including Davis Haule, now clear of suspension.  Tooting are without two of their most influential players in Jamie Byatt (injured) and Joe Vines (suspended) but will still be a formidable outfit, against whom Ashford have often struggled in the past, especially at The Hub but there have been one or two remarkable wins as well, none more so than the seven-nil victory at Short Lane in August 2008, just a few weeks before Ashford went on to lose by the same scoreline at home to Tonbridge Angels, such is the fickleness of football sometimes.

Ashford will be playing in all blue tomorrow and entry to the ground is £10 for adults, with concessions for those aged between sixteen and twenty-one (£5) and under-16’s (£1).  Tooting are also advertising Fosters at £2 per pint tomorrow between one o’clock and kick-off time.

Meanwhile, back at Short Lane, the Suburban side will be taking on Beaconsfield SYCOB in a league encounter.  Manager Wilson Frimpong will be keen to see his side back to winning ways prior to their Middlesex Premier Cup semi-final next Wednesday when they make the very short journey to up and coming Combined Counties side Bedfont Sports.