Striker's loyalty keeps him at Dartford

TOMMY SAMPSON, manager of Southern League Division One East club Dartford, has insisted striker Tostao Kwashi’s future is with the Darts’, writes Stephen McCartney.

The striker has attracted interest from league rivals Erith & Belvedere during the close season, but Sampson has made it very clear the striker will pull on a Dartford shirt in next Saturday’s opening day’s league fixture at Boreham Wood.

Although Kwashi missed Saturday’s 4-1 pre-season defeat against Bracknell Town at Stonebridge Road after turning his ankle in a midweek fixture at Hastings United, Sampson insisted: “Tostao’s loyalty is what keeps him at Dartford.

“We have a good friendship and he knows I will be more than happy if he moves to a higher level.

“He could play minimum in the Nationwide South and possibly in the Conference within the right set-up.”

Sampson knows Kwashi is a vital member of his team, and added: “Tostao is a match winner for us.

“Erith & Belvedere are trying to sign him and I can fully understand that – offering him the best offer they could.”

He continued: “Tostao has loyalty to me and to the football club and he enjoys it here.”

Sampson revealed: “He wasn’t fit to play yesterday, so a bit of caution to leave him out – but he will be ready for next Saturday’s game at Boreham Wood.”

Sampson has been happy with his squad during pre-season, apart from their 4-1 home loss to Bracknell Town in front of their own fans at Stonebridge Road.

“To be fair, we didn’t play to badly.” Sampson insisted.

He added: “We have been really competitive in pre-season. 

“Bracknell were no different to Ashford, Hastings and Lymington, but we chose to be a bit lazy.

“The competitive edge that was there in the last couple of weeks wasn’t there yesterday.

“Bracknell were very neat and tidy, but we gave two goals away in the space of a minute in the first half and that summed up the game.

“We probably had more of the game, we got back in but missed 6 chances.  The goal we scored was from a deflection off Jim Carter’s shot.

“We got back in the game at 2-1 but they scored right on half time and we really dominated the second half.

“Although we passed the ball slowly we weren’t competitive.  People were not dying to make that 20-yard run, which we have been doing.

“However, the heat if the same for both sides.”

Sampson hopes the defeat is a wake-up call to some of his players and fringe players can still come into the squad for the opening day fixture if they impress on Monday.

Sampson will take a squad of around sixteen players, fringe first teamers, reserves and a couple of youth team players, to face last season’s British Energy Kent County League champions Crockenhill.

He said: “Yesterday was a bit of a wake-up call, and we know that next Saturday is the real thing.”

“Pre-season on the whole has been terrific fitness wise, and we have only been poorly once in eight games , which was yesterday in front of our own people.”

Tommy Planck, who cut his eye yesterday, will taste football action, but it will be in the reserves as he tries to regain his fitness.

Strong midfielder Mark Horan will miss the Boreham Wood match with a one-match ban, but Sampson admitted he is expecting a tough game at Meadow Park.

“It’s going to be a tough game away from home on a nice playing surface.

“I was at Boreham Wood for a short time myself, and once we get to Saturday’s game I will know as much as I can know about their team.”

But the manager insists his side will rediscover their competitive spirit, which was missing against the Robins, once Southern League points are at stake.

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