Boreham Wood's proud Portsmouth goalkeeper forced to miss magical AFC Wimbledon and AFC Bournemouth FA Cup wins - but is pushing to win place back in time for trip to face Everton

So spare a thought for Boreham Wood’s former Gosport Borough and Hawks goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore, whose time spent on the sidelines has coincided with one of the greatest periods in the Hertfordshire club's 74-year history.

But that still did not stop Farlington-based Ashmore celebrating like a 'mad man' following the National League side’s incredible 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round win at Championship outfit AFC Bournemouth on Sunday.

Ashmore is back in full training for the first time this week following a near four-month absence after suffering a severe quad muscle injury in a league defeat at Chesterfield in October.

Back then, the 32-year-old stopper would have no doubt been disappointed to miss a large chunk of Boreham Wood's push for promotion to the Football League.

Yet Ashmore could not have foreseen it also meaning he could only watch on as his team-mates produced FA Cup victories over League One AFC Wimbledon and Scott Parker's Bournemouth on the way to setting up a fifth-round meeting with Frank Lampard's Premier League Everton.

And despite admitting it's been tough at times to come to terms with his injury absence, Ashmore, who had a trial with hometown club Pompey earlier in his career, says it's still been 'special' to be a part of such a major achievement by Boreham Wood.

‘The gaffer (Luke Garrad) came in the gym physio room and was saying (to me), ‘your celebration (at Bournemouth) was a joke.’ He said I must have been hurting but my celebration was a joke,' Ashmore revealed.

‘I basically ran the whole pitch, I fell over, I got back up running to the fans and jumped in with them - I wasn’t even playing and I was celebrating like a mad man – but that’s just who I am.

‘It’s some achievement. There’s been some great publicity, players getting some really, really good feedback, the fans are buzzing - the whole club is just buzzing - it’s such a great feeling just to be a part of it.

‘It very, very rarely happens (non-league teams reaching FA Cup fifth round). It happens on the odd occasion, Lincoln got the quarter-final once, it very rarely happens but when it does happen it’s something special. Whoever they’re playing, everyone wants the underdog to win.

‘It was a special night for the club and it just shows how far the non-league has come.

‘I’m not going to lie, it hurts, it’s painful (injury absence), but you can’t take it away the boys have done so well.

I’m buzzing for the boys, I’m buzzing for the club, obviously personally I’m absolutely gutted. But things happen for a reason, I’m back fit now, so you never know.’

After the longest injury absence of his career, which required an operation after tearing his rectus femoris muscle, Ashmore is pushing to play a part in Garrad's National League title push and put himself in contention for the dream trip to face Everton next month.

Certainly is he was to feature at Goodison Park it would provide another historic ground off the goalkeeper’s list having featured for Gosport in their 2014 FA Trophy final defeat to Cambridge at Wembley.

But Ashmore, who returned to his old club Boro to watch their 3-1 home Southern League Premier South defeat to Harrow last month, knows he faces a fight to win back his spot in the side with Fulham loanee Taye Ashby-Hammond impressing in goal during Ashmore's recent injury lay-off.

‘It’s the team I play for, I want us to do well, we’re in a good position in the league as well,’ added Ashmore.

‘We’ve still got 22 league games left to play so that’s my aim, to try to get back in the team, get the manager’s attention and show I’m ready and fit to play. What will be will be. Hopefully, it’d be good, but we’ll see (back in time for Everton).

‘It’s been a long, hard road but I’m back now. The hardest thing is knowing that you’re not going to play, you’re injured, something clicked, it’s realisation that you’re not going to play and you’re injured.

‘Once you accept it and you realise that’s happening you just have to embrace it and work hard, I’ve worked hard to get back fit and I’m ahead of schedule so it’s good. I’ve progressed quite nicely so, touch wood, I’m back.’