Liam Watson hopes to keep AFC Telford's Dan Preston

Preston has requested to leave the New Bucks Head after making just one start this season under the Bucks boss and his name has been circulated to other clubs.

Watson won't keep a player who is set against staying, but he's made it clear to the 22-year-old that he wants him to remain at Telford.

The former Birmingham City centre-back wasn't even among the substitutes for Saturday's 1-0 Skrill Conference North win at Histon, with captain Simon Grand and Neill Byrne preferred.

But Watson claimed: "I am going to say the same thing every time I see him – I don't want him to go.

"I have stated all along he should stay here and it's the same at every training session. Alfreton enquired about him, but they never came back and followed it up."

Striker Tony Gray missed the trip to Histon after being struck down with the sickness bug that has also affected Simon Grand, Wes Baynes and Saturday's match-winner Mike Phenix.

Watson said: "Tony is ill. He's got the virus that has been going around. He would have started but it wasn't to be.

"He will be alright to train tomorrow night but he wasn't right for Saturday and there was no point in taking a chance with him."

Victory on Saturday took Telford to seventh with 18 points, two points shy of Watson's target after the first 10 games.

He said: "We are 10 games in and two points off where I wanted us to be, but we could throw together a couple of wins back-to-back, that's the challenge for us."

n Telford's league trip to Brackley Town, which was set for Saturday but postponed because of the home side's involvement in the FA Cup, has been rescheduled for Tuesday November 5.

"If you had asked me at the start of our season if I had taken 18 points by now I probably wouldn't have, but we have to switch that and start winning more games to get bang on track.

"I have said all along that we will get better and stronger, the lads need to make up the points."