Manager Danny Kedwell won’t allow Ashford players to start thinking about reaching the FA Cup first round.

The Nuts & Bolts are through to the third qualifying round after beating Corinthian 3-0 on Saturday - the club’s best run in 27 years.

It was their fourth victory in the competition this season, having entered at the extra preliminary round stage, and they’re now only two wins away from the first round proper.

But there’s still plenty of work to do, with a trip to Southern League Premier South side Chertsey the next hurdle on September 28.

“No one’s talking about the first round and I’ve made sure they aren’t,” said boss Kedwell.

“We play one game at a time and focus on whatever’s coming our way next.

“Yes, we’re only two games away but it’s a lot of minutes to be played to get there.

“In the FA Cup, everyone knows you need a bit of luck as well.

“Luck can go for you or against you. We saw that in the league last week when we were miles better than Ramsgate but lost 4-0.

“Every game’s winnable. It’s how we conduct ourselves and do our work on our opponents.

“I’ve got no worries when the boys are it how good they are.

“When they’re fully at it, there’s not many teams we fear.

“In football, you need that consistency, and it’s coming.

“I can honestly say we’ve only played one bad half this season, and that was at Sittingbourne in the second half when we lost 3-1.

“The biggest thing is belief. I’ve got belief in the group and they’ve got to believe in themselves.

“I always tell my lads, in life in general, not just football, you’ve got to take chances.

“You’ve got to take chances to fail, no matter what you do.

“If you don’t, you’re never going to learn.

“You can be too safe so I give the boys licence to take chances.

“Take risks, take chances and if we mess up, that’s on me, no one else.”

Ashford were convincing winners over Southern Counties East side Corinthian.

Teenager Mikey Berry broke the deadlock two minutes before half-time with his first goal in men’s football.

Louis Collins doubled the lead midway through the second half and Gary Lockyer clinched the win with his ninth FA Cup goal this season, making him the top scorer in the competition.

Kedwell was particularly pleased for Berry, the former Charlton youth-team player.

“That’s his first goal in men’s football and the last three games he’s been brilliant,” said Kedwell.

“The more he plays, the better he’s going to get.

“He was different class against Ramsgate and on Saturday he deserved his goal.

“It’s good to get him off the mark and hopefully that gives him a boost. He’s doing really well. He can handle himself, he puts himself about, he isn’t scared of all that.

“Sometimes kids come into men’s football and it takes a couple of months to realise what it’s all about, not just on the pitch but off it as well and in the changing room.

“But Mikey’s settled in well, as have all our young lads.

“It’s always a worry when you play teams in the league below because you’re expected to win and they up their game, but our boys were magnificent.

“It was a proper professional performance.”

Ashford are in FA Trophy second qualifying round action at home to Hartley Wintney this Saturday (3pm).

That’s followed by Cray Valley away in the Kent Senior Cup first round on Tuesday (7.45pm).