Ashford United assistant manager Tommy Osborne feels the Christmas period could shape the Nuts & Bolts’ season

Tommy Osborne believes Ashford United are entering a key phase of the season.

The Nuts & Bolts sit ninth in Isthmian South East with Christmas approaching and it’s a time of year that can shape a team’s campaign one way or another.

Ashford enjoyed a run of one defeat in seven matches before losing successive games against Cray Valley and Lancing, blowing a 3-1 lead in the latter.

They’re keen to start another run, following postponements at Broadbridge Heath and Horndean over the past week, and visit Phoenix Sports this Saturday (3pm).

Assistant boss Osborne said: “It’s difficult because this season the league is as competitive as it’s been for a long time.

“Where previously you might have had four or five clubs with good budgets going for promotion, I genuinely think this season you’ve got eight or nine.

“Over the next four or five weeks, you’ll probably be able to gauge where you’re at .

“This Christmas period and the games we’ve got in January can set up what season you’re going to have.

“We had that spell where we lost one in seven before the Cray game and we felt we were starting to make progress.

“We lost to Cray, who are a fantastic team, and then we had that disappointing result against Lancing after being 3-1 up and losing 4-3.

“We try and concentrate on that form we had in that run of one defeat in seven and see if the players can keep that consistency.

“Take that poor 45 minutes against Lancing out of the equation and there have been some real positive points.

“It’s just trying to drill that mentality into the lads that we can go on another little run.”

Osborne was in the crowd as Phoenix beat Sevenoaks 3-2 last weekend to move out of the relegation zone.

They lost 9-1 and 4-0 to Ramsgate and Hythe