Graham Turner has vowed to be fully focused on Shrewsbury Town’s promotion push when he makes an emotionally-charged first return to Hereford tomorrow.

Turner will be back at the Edgar Street ground where he spent 15 years as manager and chairman — before succeeding Paul Simpson in the Town hot-seat last summer — for an A49 derby which is steeped in huge importance for both clubs.

But Turner is solely interested in maintaining Town’s charge for automatic promotion in the first part of an Easter double-header which is completed by Monday’s home clash with Accrington.

“I had 15 years there and devoted a lot of time to keeping the club alive in the first instance and putting it on a stable footing,” said Turner, who has backed Hereford boss Jamie Pitman to seal Football League survival for the Bulls.

“There is going to be an element of something different.

“But the only concern for me once we arrive at the ground is making sure the players are right and making sure we are capable of taking the three points.”

Despite the level of commitment required to fill the roles of manager and chairman, Turner admitted he enjoyed his spell at Hereford.

“It was a stupid thing to do, buying shares in the club,” he added.

“It meant a commitment that there was no let-up from just to keep it alive in the first instance and making sure it was run in a financially stable way.

“But I enjoyed my time there, almost in a perverse sort of way. We got used to doing all sorts of jobs but, it wasn’t just me, there were some backroom staff there who worked very hard to keep the club alive. I would hope the supporters appreciate what we did there.”

Victory for Town would see them break into the top three should Wycombe fail to win at Torquay today.