Liam Watson: Good times back at AFC Telford

Watson's side welcome Barrow to Shropshire on the back of a six-match unbeaten run in the Skrill Conference North, with three home victories.

Their last outing as hosts was the dramatic 5-3 win against Hednesford Town on New Year's Day, that took them to the top of the table for the first time this season.

Two call-offs at Worcester City and Altrincham have seen them drop to third, after Hednesford beat Stockport County 3-1 at home last night to move into second place.

But Watson believes the win over the Pitmen, in particular, has given the Bucks some momentum to take into the weekend, which he feels has been building up all season.

The Telford boss pointed to his first competitive game in charge, July's Shropshire Senior Cup final win at home to Market Drayton Town, as the first step on that path.

He said: "I think we have tried getting a winning mentality to the club since we have been here. Even when you look back at the Senior Cup, that meant something to us, at the time.

"There were negatives around the club that only really started leaving when we beat Hednesford on New Year's Day. That started to make people believe in the club again.

"A lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes since I have been here, in that respect."

Watson looks likely to stick by his squad this month while the likes of promotion rivals Brackley Town, who have landed former Aston Villa striker Stefan Moore, are chopping and changing.

The Bucks chief is working well within his budget, too. He wants to keep up the team spirit he has brought to the club by keeping the faith, comparing the camaraderie to that at Hednesford.

He said: "They haven't got a massive budget, either, but are there or thereabouts and it's been built on team spirit. We have that, too, and it's something we specifically work on.

"This season, we want to make sure we are under budget. I am happy with what I have got and I am working with it. You should only pay people what they are worth."