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Ashford Victoria manager Ryan Mills wants to see his side start to realise their potential over the next few weeks in a period that he believes could make or break the clubs season. The Vics face a crucial league clash with Division Three leaders William Harvey next week, a fixture sandwiched between two important cup ties, and Mills is going all out for three successive victories to help put his side on the road to silverware at the end of the season.

Victoria travel to Burton Grove on Sunday in the first round of the Kent Trophy, a competition that Mills would like to do well in and want his side to show their progress as a team and reach the full county draw next February.

"I wouldn't have entered the club in the competition if I didn't want to take it seriously, or think that we didn't have a chance to win it. We did well last year to get to the last 32, but eventually went out to old rivals Brewmaster just before the full county draw, and I'd love to go further this season" said Mills.

"I think we have been too relaxed in our two previous Kent Trophy campaigns, maybe treating it as just another fixture and taking the chance to rotate the squad and give some of the fringe players a run out. But this year I will be treating the games with the proper respect and fielding my strongest team in every round, and hopefully we can have some success this time out".

Then the following week Victoria face neighbours and title rivals William Harvey Inn, and Mills admitted that defeat to the pub side would make it very difficult for Victoria to be taken as serious championship contenders.

"We have to get a result at William Harvey, for sure. Another league defeat, especially to a massive title contender, would be disasterous for us at this stage of the season, and we will go all out for the win" said Mills.

"I know a lot about them as a team and as individuals, and I think we've found a way to beat them, and as long as we turn up with the right attitude like we did recently against Bromley Green, then I'm sure we will do well. A win against Harvey would really put us in the title frame in what is turning out to be another tight and closely fought division this year, with four sides in with a genuine shout of challenging for the championship" added Mills.

"Every player has to be dedicated to the cause now, I won't accept any poor performances from my players and everyone should realise that we have a very competitive squad now. I think we have a very strong first team on paper developing, and I am pleased with how things are coming on, but it is also important that the boys struggling for games or finding themselves on the fringes of the team at the moment also take their chances when they get one to push for a place in the team".

"Over the past three seasons it seems that we have always been the bridesmaid and never the bride so to say, everyone comments and says how promising a team we are and that we have the ability to play in a higher division, but we always seem to fall short when it really matters and this is the time to really push ourselves and step up to that next level and win something".