By Joe Harbert

Ashford United striker David Smith says he is fired up to hit the 30-goal mark this season, as he approaches the end of just his third month as a Nuts & Bolts player.

Currently the Isthmian South-East top scorer with eight goals in just four games, Smith says playing regularly has been a big factor in his goalscoring exploits this campaign.

He said: “I want to get as many goals as I can, and I’m aiming to hit the 25-30 goal mark.

“I know it’s a big target but I feel like if I carry on playing the way I play, I reckon I will get that.

“I was at Dover and Sittingbourne before I came here, both for a year, and I wasn’t really playing 90 minutes except at the back end of seasons for them, so I came here ready to play football every week.

“Dover was good, but I felt like my time was going to end up being wasted.

“Even being at a higher club, there’s just no point being there if you’re not going to play.”

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The 20-year old says that being head-hunted by boss Tommy Warrilow gave him huge motivation to join a club that he has now helped propel to fourth in the division with two games still in hand.

He added: “Tommy got in contact with me during the last few weeks of the off-season and literally told me there was a spot for me here if I want to play.

“It was really good because a lot of managers often say come to pre-season and see how you get along, but he said: ‘Listen, come here – I’ve got a place for you.”

The Maidstone academy graduate, who hit a brace in Tuesday night’s win against Sittingbourne including a last-minute winner, believes United are still to fulfil their potential, despite their 100% winning start to the campaign.

He said: “Personally it’s been good to score in every league game so far.

“I’ve been running the channels and getting in behind well, so it’s been an all right start.

“It’s a bit weird because some of the games we haven’t been playing that well yet still been getting great results, but the squad is still quite new.

“We know that in this league you have to stay consistent.

“There’s no point beating a great team and then losing to a side that aren’t really playing for anything.”

Ashford continue their league campaign away to East Grinstead Town on Saturday.

The Sussex side were beaten 6-3 at Phoenix in midweek.

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