Harris is latest to join Ashford Town's crocks list

Mar 25 2009 By Paul Warburton, Staines News

Scott Harris may have played his last game of the season for Ashford Town.

The Tangerines striker turned out against Tooting & Mitcham with a fractured hand last night, but his doctor's date tomorrow may see him sidelined for the final 10 games.

Ashford fear the 22-year-old may need an operation straight away and add more strain to a physio's table at Short Lane groaning with the weight of bodies being patched up from match to match.

However, boss Mark Butler has pleaded with his troops to treat this week as a pivotal moment in the Tangerines' campaign - and ignore their bumps and bruises.

He said: "If we can win our Surrey Senior Cup semi-final against Epson & Ewell tomorrow night, we've no more matches on a Thursday.

"If we can also get points on Saturday against Harrow to distance ourselves from the bottom, there's a chance we'll have a more comfortable April with a day out in May at the end of it."

Harris is an electrician by trade, and Butts pointed out the Ryman Premier side are in no position to pick and choose when their player goes under the knife.

He said: "If this was Manchester United, we could decide the timing of the operation. But Scott needs his hands in order to work, and if they say he's going into hospital straight away, we'll just have to deal with it."

The wounded will almost be able to field their own side when they're fit again.

But Butler is confident he will have Billy Jeffreys and Vinnie O'Sullivan back to face Epsom, currently second in the Combined Counties Premier, but two leagues below Ashford.

He added: "We're starting to feel the effects of a long old season. People like Gavin Smith (striker) are being looked at from game to game.

"But the reward for a big push this week from him and the others is the chance of a winners' medal in May, and maybe a bit of time off next month to ease the strain as we bring in fringe players.

"If the players we've got left can give me this, I think we can rest easy."

Tooting & Mitcham..............3 ASHFORD TOWN.................2

THE Tangerines shipped three goals in the first 20 minutes as they went down at Tooting & Mitcham last night.

Mark Butler's boys were 2-0 down inside a nightmare four minutes, and it was even worse when the hosts added another 15 minutes later.

Byron Harrison pulled one back on the half-hour mark when he nipped in to poke the ball home. Harrison hit his second after the break from the penalty spot as Ashford battled back.

But they couldn't find a third, and were edged out 3-2.