Omens are good for AFC Telford's Liam Watson

Watson was in charge of Southport in 2004-05 when he recorded a 5-3 victory at Stalybridge Celtic on New Year's Day, which took them into first place.

It was same score his current Telford side beat Hednesford Town by on the same day of this year and, again, it was enough to catapult his side to the top of the table.

The Bucks boss now goes to Harrogate Town tomorrow, the ground on which he won the league on the final day of that season, hoping for more joy at Wetherby Road.

He said: "I won the league at Harrogate in my first spell at Southport. We had gone 5-0 up and, although they got it back to 5-2, we were never really in trouble.

"We had won 5-3 to go top of the league at Stalybridge on New Year's Day and it was in similar conditions, all of the games locally around the place got abandoned.

"The omens may be good but it doesn't play much of a part in my thinking, we just want to kick on and you only get three points from any league game."

Tomorrow's trip is also set to the only fixture in which defender Dan Preston has started home and away this season, after the transfer-listed stopper worked his way back into favour.

Preston made his first start for three months against Hednesford after loan spells at Barrow and Stourbridge, with Watson hailing the player's attitude.

The Telford chief added: "Dan started and did well against Harrogate the last time and, likewise, the other day. I have said all along that he's a good lad.

"It's his shirt to lose if he carries on putting performances in like that and it's what you want from your players.

"He just wants to play football, that tells you all about him. That's the whole of idea of loans for players, because it's important to get games."