BADSHOT Lea manager Gavin Smith was in a reflective mood after his side’s clash with Spelthorne Sports on Saturday was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, but he remains confident that with some new additions his side can push on after Christmas and improve their current poor from.

The Baggies have lost their past five league games, a run which has seen Lea drop to 14th in the Premier Division table, and Smith had mixed feelings about Saturday’s postponement.

He said: “At the minute we’ve got a few players out injured which it’s helped us with, obviously we want our better players back playing so it’s helped us in that respect.

“I worked really hard to bring players in and I was confident of what we’ve got in in terms of loan players. I thought we had a good team that could have competed and probably could have got a result.”

With the Baggies’ persistent problems with injuries they have had to lean on loan players a lot, which Smith revealed does not leave them with much time to plan for each week’s fixture.

“It’s taking things on a Thursday night. It’s ringing those managers and asking right, is he available?

“I don’t want that to happen. I want our own group.

“After Christmas will be telling when we get who I hope we’re going to get.”

There appears to be plenty going on behind the scenes at Badshot Lea, with Smith letting on that a few incomings are imminent at the club.

“We’re in talks with another couple of players that I’m hoping that we will be able to get in.”

Given these incomings, Smith is confident about his side’s prospects in the New Year, when the Baggies will look to better what has been a desperate run of form of late.

Smith said: “We’re looking at building something for after Christmas really.

“With what we’ve got coming in it’s a complete rebuild.

“We needed to get new players in with the amount that have left and ever so slowly it’s coming.

“We’ve still got to look below us, but I’m confident with what we’ve got.

“We just need a win with a new group of people to kick start something.”

Badshot Lea face second-placed Ascot United away from home at The Racecourse Ground this Saturday in what promises to be another tough match for the Baggies, but Smith will be hoping for a good performance from his side as they look to halt an alarming slide down the table.

The Baggies will also be looking for revenge after falling to a 3-1 defeat at home to Ascot in the reverse league fixture earlier this season on October 29.

Lea did claim the bragging rights in the FA Cup earlier this season, though, as they knocked Ascot out in the extra preliminary round.

The two sides drew 2-2 in the original FA Cup tie on August 10, before Badshot Lea won the replay 2-1 at Westfield Lane on August 13.

After the trip to Ascot, the Baggies are set to host Aldershot Town at Westfield Lane in an Aldershot Senior Cup tie on Monday night (December 23). Kick-off is at 7.45pm.