It’s bottom v top on Saturday as AFC Telford United, the side propping up the Conference table, visit The Hive to face Martin Allen’s table topping Bees.

For the Bucks it has been a season of harsh reality thus far after winning promotion from the Conference North as title winners last term.

Battling the drop is something of an unfamiliar position for manager Liam Watson, who has thrice won the Conference North title, most recently doing so in his first season in charge of the Midlands outfit.

The former Southport, Burscough and Runcorn boss has a proud non-league pedigree and hopped onto the managerial merry-go-round at the tender age of 29. After turning the now-defunct Runcorn from perennial strugglers into a solid mid-table side, Watson moved to Southport in 2003.

Promotion from the newly-formed Conference North followed and Watson subsequently kept the Sandgrounders in the Conference before leaving as the club went full time.

Two years at Burscough between 2006 and 2008 saw Watson win the Northern Premier League before returning to Southport to lift the Conference North title once more. In April 2013 the former striker announced his intention to leave the Merseyside outfit once more, citing the need for a change for both parties.

A 2-1 victory over fellow newly-promoted side Altrincham on Tuesday was the Bucks’ third win in six in all competitions but they remain six points from safety with 19 games played having picked up only three league wins all season.

That run has also seen Watson’s side triumph over Spennymoor Town in an FA Cup fourth qualifying round replay and draw 1-1 with Basingstoke of the Conference South in the first round proper, but the confidence garnered from a run of only one defeat in six cannot be understated.

What has undoubtedly not helped Telford’s cause is the loss of top-scorer Mike Phenix to Barnsley. The 25-year-old had scored six in 12 starts this term before making the jump into League One to join the Tykes.

Phenix will be known to Bees fans after scoring the late equaliser at the New Bucks Head earlier this season to secure a 2-2 draw for the hostts.

The former Skelmersdale United frontman, who joined the Bucks in 2013, became the club’s joint-record sale by joining the Yorkshire outfit but has left Watson’s squad light up front. With six goals, Phenix has squared exactly one quarter of Telford’s league goals this term.

Watson has dipped into the loan market this week to strengthen his squad, signing Lincoln City midfielder Karl Ledsham for a month.

The pair worked together at Southport where the attacking midfielder made more than 100 appearances for the Sandgrounders before moving east to join the Imps in the summer. The 26-year-old has made 13 outings for the Imps this term, but has fallen out of favour recently. 

Luton Town defender Andy Parry, who has also served under Watson at Southport, has also extended his loan spell for a further month after making six appearances since joining the Bucks on loan at the beginning of last month.

Barnet have only ever lost to Telford once in seven meetings and have yet to lose to the Shropshire side at home. Saturday’s clash will be the first meeting of the two clubs at The Hive.

Telford United XI v Altrincham: Hall; Higgins, Clancy, Byrne, Parry, McDonald; Grogan, Hancock, Poku; Farrell, Smith.