Stay at Grove, Ash, urges Heath (From This is Hampshire)

Stay at Grove, Ash, urges Heath

8:46am Monday 13th February 2012 in Hampshire Sport By Adam Summers

APPROACHED BY TERRAS: Portland defender Ashley Wells

STUART Heath has urged Ashley Wells to stay at Grove Corner until the end of the season.

The talented full-back is currently the subject of a seven-day approach from Weymouth but the Portland United boss does not think he should make the move just yet.

Heath told Echosport: “The approach from Weymouth is no surprise as clubs have been looking at Ashley for a while.

“It is also a reflection of how well he has developed over the last couple of years and we would like to think we have played a small part in that.

“He has a lot going for his game and is very versatile. He also has a great attitude both on and off the pitch so there is no doubting his outstanding potential.

“However, my personal view is that he should stay with us until the end of the season and then take stock in the summer.

“Although he is already a very good player, he still has a lot to learn and I feel we are still the right club at this moment in time for him to continue that upward trend.

“Ashley may well feel differently and of course we will respect whatever he decides but there is no doubt everyone at Portland is hoping he stays, as he is a very popular person around the club.”

The Blues suffered another postponement on Saturday when their Magna Dorset Premier League clash at Parley Sports fell to a frozen pitch.

The islanders have now played just three competitive games in the last two months and Heath is concerned about the impact it might have on their title-chasing ambitions.

He added: “Having picked up a bit of momentum and match sharpness from the previous Saturday and last Tuesday’s friendly against Weymouth, this past weekend was probably the most frustrating of the lot.

“It means we have to go back to square one again and with a couple of suspensions and unavailabilities coming up, there is no doubt it is proving a very tricky period.

“Our position in the table is still very delicate in terms of the four or five teams at the top and there is no doubt any loss of momentum can really affect your consistency.

“In fact, who wins the league could well come down to which team deals with these interruptions the best so all we can do is keep working hard, stay on top of our fitness and remain focused for some massive games ahead.”

Portland’s next scheduled game sees them travel to Cranborne on Saturday.

* Chickerell United also saw their clash at Blandford United fall to the weather. Boss Maurice Welch said: “With the players we had missing it was probably a bit of a blessing the game was off.”

The Chickens will also return to action on Saturday with a home encounter against Shaftesbury.