Dan Preston in the frame for a Bucks start

The centre-back returned from a month's loan at Stourbridge to rejoin the squad for the Skrill Conference North 2-1 victory at home to Boston United.

Preston replaced Chris Lever at half-time and impressed after the break in a turnaround for the 22-year-old, who was transfer-listed and first farmed out to Barrow in October.

And, with Lever struggling and captain Simon Grand still on the sidelines with a calf injury, Watson is considering pitching him in for the New Year's Day visit of Hednesford Town.

Watson said: "I am pleased for Dan, he got on and did well. No-one has ever really been on the sidelines. Chris said he hurt his groin but, to be honest, he could have come off anyway.

"I like Dan Preston. I have said that from the word go, and he's been unfortunate. At the start of the season, it was almost like a flip of the coin to play him or Neill Byrne.

"I went with Neill because he and Simon Grand had played together before, but there have been times when Dan's been out on loan that I wished he was here. He would have played more games.

"He looks in great nick, as trim as I have ever seen him, and I hope he gets a run in the team. The one thing we can say is that he's a winner."

Player-coach Alan Moogan is nearing a return to the Bucks' midfield after three months out with a groin injury, while Mike Grogan escaped the threat of a ban on Saturday.

The four yellow cards he has received this season will be erased at the turn of the year with the Hednesford game, removing the threat of a one-match suspension for five bookings.

Watson said: "Alan does a lot of the stuff that people probably don't notice, but we need him on the pitch. He's the one big player we require. The sooner he's back, the better.

"Another big plus is that Mike never got booked, because those four yellow cards have been wiped now. That's a huge bonus for us."