Alan Dowson reckons keeping Hampton & Richmond Borough in the Ryman Premier Division would be his greatest achievement in 10 years of management.

The 44-year-old can boast winning promotion to the Ryman top flight with Kingstonian and Walton & Hersham, as well as taking the Swans to the Surrey Senior Cup final in 2005.

However, after taking on the Beavers job in September with the side bottom of the table, Dowson has admitted avoiding relegation would top the lot.

The Beavers, in 18th, travel to fellow strugglers Lewes, in 19th, this weekend, knowing a defeat could drop them to within a point of the bottom three.

Dowson said: “It’s a huge game, but if you don’t want to be involved in these kinds of games then you should pack it in.

“Being in a relegation fight is a new experience for me, but again, if you’re not up to the challenge, pack it in.”

He added: “I know how tough it is going to be to stay up, and I believe, hand on heart, with all the things I’ve done as a manager, keeping us in this league would be my greatest achievement.

“We were rock bottom when Martin [Tyler] and I arrived, we have very little budget and we’re right in the middle of a relegation scrap.”

In an effort to avoid the drop and shore up the worst defensive record in the division, Dowson recruited former Ks defender Kieran Murphy from Conference South outfit Hemel Hempstead last week.

Dowson said: “I know Kieran well from my time at Ks, and he’s been on loan with us here before, but now he’s signed with us until the end of 2016.

“I am making him club captain and he will be excellent for us, he has so much experience, and we need his experience in defence because from day one we’ve been shipping goals.

“Things have improved, we’re no longer bottom for a start, but we need to start winning games.”

l Hampton & Richmond Borough defender Justyn Roberts has joined Conference South Staines Town on a month long loan.