DEREK Graham admits there will be no room for sentiment when he returns to Meadow Lane on Wednesday night.

The former Westbury United boss will visit his old stomping ground as assistant manager of Shepton Mallet, desperate for three points as his new side bids to beat the drop.

It will be the first time he has returned since his resignation in November and, after three and half seasons in the hot seat, he is expecting a strange sensation when he takes his place in the away team dug-out.

He said: "I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Westbury and there is no doubt it is the best club I have ever been involved with.

"It is going to be difficult for me on Wednesday because I have still got a lot of friends at Westbury and it will be strange going there wanting them to lose.

"But I will have to block all those feelings out because we need the points to try and get off the bottom of the division."

On his departure, Graham directed a few choice words in the direction of club officials but he now insists the past is all forgotten.

He said: "I was disappointed about some of the circumstances surrounding my resignation but I am not thinking about that anymore.

"I have not fallen out with anyone there and I am looking forward to going back there and shaking hands with them all.

"I had been there over three seasons and to be honest there are not many managers who stay at clubs for longer than that."

The Somerset side are five points adrift at the bottom of Division One but with three games in hand over closest rivals Biddestone, survival is still a realistic target.

Graham said: "Our problem is we have not been scoring enough goals and as a result have kept losing by the odd goal.

"It is a bit weird because looking at this fixture at the start of the season I expected to be the Westbury manager watching his side push for promotion, but in reality both teams are at the wrong end of the league.

"I know Westbury are in a false position and I also believe we have a good side here who just need a bit of luck to start going our way."

Derek's former assistant and Westbury's new manager, Paul Brickley, said he was looking forward to seeing him again.

He said: "We haven't really spoken since he left so it will be nice to catch up. But at the end of the day it is just another three points.

"They are below us in the league and we need to beating these sort of teams to make sure they don't get above us."

Westbury have added defender Carl Harfield to their squad after he decided to drop down a division from Melksham Town.

Brickley said: "I think that will be it for the rest of the season now. The lads have proved to me they deserve a chance and I think I will just be asking for trouble if I make any more signings."