MANAGER Mark Ashford is pleased that new signing Kevin Coyle has spotted the potential within his young Witham Town squad rather than focusing on their current position in the Bostik League division north table.

Ashford feels Witham's placing - second-from-bottom ahead of a trip to rock-bottom Soham Town Rangers on Saturday - is a false one, so was delighted that Coyle looked beyond that in making his decision to make a switch to them from Coggeshall Town this week.

"Sometimes players just look at the league table and that's all they look at, but I'm glad Kevin has not looked at it like that," said Ashford.

"He saw us in the four games we played against Coggeshall, so has seen us up close and knows that we are not far away from being a good side.

"We're looking to add that little bit of experience to the squad now and hopefully they will tip the scales so we'll be able to get the right side of the narrow margins and get results to take us up the table.

"Kevin is the first of a couple of signings that I'm hoping to make.

"I haven't worked with him directly before but I've been around non-league football for a long time and have come across him a number of times.

"Included in that are the times that we've played Coggeshall this year, who he has been playing for. "He has really impressed me in all those games.

"While we very much haven't brought him in to be a versatile player, he does have very good versatility and that's another good asset to have for us.

"He is very experienced and he reads the game well.

"I've been very impressed by him defensively for Coggeshall, but he gets forward well and reads the game well in transition so he can get into the penalty box.

"Kevin brings a lot for us and he fits the profile of the experienced players we are looking to bring in, so I'm really pleased to have him on board."

While Coyle has joined Witham from Coggeshall, he has also been playing for Harwich & Parkeston in Thurlow Nunn League division one south in recent weeks under a dual registration.

Meanwhile, following the departure a couple of weeks ago of Matt Singh, due to personal commitments outside football, Ashford has brought in two new assistant managers - Kevin Wren and John Sussex - to work with him at Witham.

Both hold UEFA B coaching licences and Ashford is delighted to have them on board.

He said: "I'm very pleased that Kevin and John have agreed to join us.

"Kevin has worked at Stanway Rovers and Braintree Town Reserves in recent years and John comes to us after working at Basildon United.

"The fact that we are getting quality people like them wanting to come to us shows they are able to look beyond what the league is saying."