Liam Watson knew AFC Telford would respond
AFC Telford United manager Liam Watson today insisted he never expected a Guiseley hangover after their return to winning ways on Saturday.
The Bucks turned in a much-improved performance to go back to the top of the Skrill Conference North with a 3-1 home win against Altrincham.
It came just four days after a new club-record 6-1 defeat at Nethermoor Park, but Watson was adamant he expected nothing less than a response.
He said: "It wasn't easy for me for come out and give an interview that night or pick up a paper the following day.
"The one person who should have looked at the Guiseley result and gone 'oh no' is Lee Sinnott, the Altrincham manager.
"I would like to think he knows enough about us to expect a response. I didn't think there was going to be a hangover.
"I just looked at it from the point of view that we had been beaten just once in 17 games. We had been on a fabulous run.
"It didn't matter whether we lost 6-1 or 1-0, it's still three points gone! We answered that like we have all season.
"I heard somebody say after the game that it was a typical Liam Watson performance. If that's true, I would take that a massive compliment."
Defender Neill Byrne was one of the most-maligned after Guiseley but was Man of the Match worthy on Saturday, scoring the second goal.
Watson said: "I actually ripped into him in the changing room at Guiseley, because he was sitting there with his head in his hands. That was the only reason.
"I was the first to tell him he had an absolute nightmare that night but he's a 20-year-old kid and that can happen sometimes. It's a learning curve.
"But he's played almost every game this season and we are where we are, so he hasn't done badly under me at all. He's showed he's got that little bit about him.
"I have told him he needs to score more and good on him for Saturday. That's a nice response, even if he did spend too long celebrating and wasn't back in position for the kick off!"
One blot on the Bucks' copybook on Saturday was a booking for on-loan winger Shaun Whalley, who was booked for the second match in succession for diving.
Watson said: "Shaun Whalley runs at such a pace with the ball that, once you move direction, it's very difficult to actually stay up if someone brushes you.
"The goalkeeper has gone to ground and Shaun has tapped the ball past him. Even if he brushes him, which he did, it's a penalty."
