NEW Harrogate Railway boss Martin Haresign has set his players a top-five target, averaging two points a game between now and the end of the season.

The Station View team lie fourth bottom - nine points behind fifth-placed Sheffield - but Haresign believes the committee's desire for a top-five spot is "achievable" albeit "very difficult".

This season's top five Northern Counties East League premier division teams will be promoted to the UniBond League due to the non-League restructuring caused by the extension of the Conference.

Former Farsley Celtic manager Haresign accepted the Railway job despite a late offer from UniBond outfit Ossett Town and is relishing the challenge of lifting the club - who entertain basement boys Arnold tomorrow - up the table.

He said: "We are in a position that we can get out of and it is not impossible to get into the top five. It will be very difficult but it is achievable.

"That's what the committee want and, although I've told them not to expect miracles, I want us to try to average two points a game from now on."

Haresign won his first game in charge, against Goole, to give Rail' their first home points of the season.

His assistant, former York City striker Ian Blackstone, got the winner that day but Railway lost 2-0 at high-flying Pickering on Saturday despite a battling performance after being reduced to ten men because of Michael Ord's dismissal after just 15 minutes.

Haresign has already signed six players to bolster the squad and is intending to bring in more while also giving the team that started the season a chance to impress.

He said: "We need to strengthen in one or two positions. I had Liam Gray and Damien Holmes at Farsley so I know all about them and I have also brought in Ian Blackstone, Damien Place and Phil Turner from there so that's five lads who I have managed before.

"I'm getting to know the other lads and will be looking at everyone in a first team versus second team match because I would be sick if I let a player go before I had got to see what they can offer.

"I know the budget is not as high as in the Unibond so I might have to tempt players to come and play here. I'll also be looking down the leagues to see if there's any talent so it will mean getting out and about."

Haresign played at Railway for one season in the 1980s and also had a spell at Guiseley. But he has spent most of his career at Farsley, where he was a player, captain, assistant-manager and manager for 16 years before he left the club in June.

He played as a central midfielder and was the club's leading scorer and player of the year a few times, with other highlights including an FA Vase quarter-final appearance and promotion from the Northern Counties East League.

"I suppose I was sacked," Haresign admits about his departure from Farsley. "There was a disagreement about the direction the club was going and then it's a funny time to look for a new job in June because most clubs are sorted out.

"So I waited and then got two offers in the space of two days. Railway offered me the job on a Thursday and Ossett did the same on the Friday but I had committed myself and I am happy with the decision I have made."

One of Haresign's first decisions as Railway boss was to bring in Blackstone as his assistant.

Blackstone, who was a member of York's 1993 Wembley play-off winning team, has played for Haresign at Farsley for the last three seasons and will turn out for Railway despite his coaching duties.

Haresign said: "Coaching is a new direction for him and it will be his first go at it. It's an ideal opportunity because Harrogate is his home town and he started his career at Railway before signing for York.

"He's vastly experienced and, although he's not as mobile as he was, he still scores goals. When our backs were against the wall against Goole he pinched us a goal. He's that type of player - he can score even when having a quiet game."

Haresign also hopes to reward the Railway fans, whose tremendous support at his first game in charge impressed him.

"The support here has amazed me," he said. "We struggled at Farsley to get 100 fans but here there seems to be a strong following and they're very vocal. Their support was terrific at Goole, as was the feeling in the club afterwards and that makes a difference."

Updated: 11:00 Friday, October 17, 2003