NEW Nelson manager Mark Fell has wasted no time making his mark on the North West Counties League Division One outfit, bringing in two players on his first day in the job.

Fell, who is head of sport at Accrington and Rossendale College and has also worked with the Preston North End youth academy, has signed midfielder Nat Taylor and centre back Danny Finch.

Taylor, a former Accrington Stanley man, is in line for a debut in Fell’s first game in charge at Northwich Villa on Saturday, but Finch, who returns to the club for a second spell, is suspended for that encounter.

And Fell believes that Nelson, who have lost their last five games to slip to 14th in the table, have the potential not only to get out of their current league – but to continue to climb the pyramid.

“We have a long-term plan here that includes getting out of this league,” said Fell. “We haven’t set any targets fopr this season but we have a number of games in hand and once we start to win a few and hopefully create a bit of a buzz then we can see where that takes us.

“What we really want to do is get a few more people actually coming down to watch us. “This is a big club, certainly in my eyes, and we want a few more people through the gate. “I realise it is a results-based business and we will be doing our part to play an attractive brand of football, but it would be great to see more people actually come down and watch.”

On the pitch Fell is aware of the task he is taking on at Little Wembley, and is bracing himself for a difficult first week in the job which includes Saturday’s trip to Villa followed by another away-day at Holker Old Boys on Tuesday night.

“We have a couple of difficult away games to start,” added Fell, who has joined Nelson from West Lancashire League Division Two leaders Whinney Hill. “It might be that not many of the squad from the previous manager stay on as is often the nature of football at his level.

“We will have to try and get as prepared as we can in a short space of time to try and pick up a couple of positive results from those games, build up a bit of momentum and then hopefully by the time we have our first home game against Rochdale Town on Saturday week we will be in good shape.

“I expect us to be organised and difficult to beat straight away and then we can take it on from there.”

Meanwhile Padiham will be looking to spring a shock in the Lancashire Challenge Trophy second round when they host Evo-Stik League First Division North side Lancaster City tonight.

Padiham are flying high in the North West Counties League Premier Division and head into the game on the back of an eight-game unbeaten run that has seen them rise to fourth in the table, just a point off top spot and with games in hand on a number of teams around them.