CAPTAIN Ash Thomas is set for a Shortwood farewell on Saturday.

The popular defender is set to play his final game at Stratford Town this weekend before moving across the pond to America.

Shortwood joint-manager Alex Sykes said:“We will be sad to see Smash (Ash) go, but we’re are already looking at a replacement and have seven days notice of approach in for an experienced Southern League defender.”

Thomas and his Shortwood team-mates travel for the seventh consecutive away game on Saturday  to  go toe-to-toe with a Stratford side - five points ahead of their Nailsworth rivals in third.

Sykes was delighted with the application display during a tricky 2-1 victory at Wimborne in the week.

Heavy traffic in Dorset disrupted Shortwood’s pre-match travel plans, but goals from in-form Ross Langworthy and sub James Lawrence-Forbes saw the Nailsworth side move to within one point of the Southern League Division One South and West play-offs.

Sykes said: “The boys came out buzzing and seven points out of nine has set us up nicely for the Christmas period.

“We created the better chances, especially in the first half, and although we had to dig in a bit in the second half, we could have killed the game off.”

Shortwood are now close to a full-strength squad and have been boosted with the news that Matt Bennett is set to remain at Meadowbank despite interest from Conference South outfit Bath City.

“We have a fairly big squad and it looks like Matt is staying with us and new striker Joe White is over his shin injury.”