The teenage striker has risen to the challenge of first-team football by helping Phil Brown’s men mount an early promotion challenge in the BetVictor North-West Division.

And with four goals to his name so far – including a mid-week strike in the Blues’ Integro League Cup exit at Marine – Watkinson is keen to add to that tally as the Blues prepare to entertain play-off rivals Tadcaster Albion on Saturday.

“It’s been a good start. I just need to kick on now and get a few more goals and try and help the team as much as I can,” he said.

“I’ve got a few assists that have helped but I also need to focus on scoring a bit more to help us stay up the table where we are.

“I think I’ve been unlucky a few times and hit the woodwork quite a bit, but I think it’s going to come now.

“I got that goal in the last league game and again in mid-week and I’ve got to kick on and get a few more.”

Watkinson capped an outstanding performance against Droylsden with the final goal in a comprehensive 4-0 win over the Bloods in Clitheroe’s last league game at the start of the month.

And the 18-year-old – who signed his first professional contract at Bloomfield Road in the summer after coming through the Tangerines’ youth set-up – is enjoying life with the Blues, where his current loan deal runs until January.

“It’s my first real loan, getting men’s football,” added Watkinson, whose fine finish in mid-week took the League Cup tie to a shoot-out as he made it two goals in three games.

“I found it hard at the start, but I think I’ve settled in well now with the lads and it’s been good.

“They told me at Blackpool to get some game-time in men’s football, score goals and make an impression and that’s what I’m trying to do.

“I want us to stay in the promotion places. Hopefully if I stay then we can get promotion.

“If I don’t, I think the lads are good enough and the squad is good enough to maybe go up into the higher league.”

Brown’s recruitment policy since taking charge at the end of last season is paying off with the Blues getting themselves among the division’s promotion pacesetters.

Five successive league wins have propelled Brown’s boys into the promotion frame and Watkinson is looking to keep the run going with a fifth home win in a row against a Tadcaster side three places and four points behind the third-placed Blues.

“Five games on the bounce now, you can’t get much better than that,” he said.

“We need to kick on to get six out of six and try and keep it going.

“The support here has been fantastic. They make a real noise in the stand opposite the dug-out and hopefully we can keep picking up points in these home games and see where it takes us.”

The Blues are hoping for another bumper crowd on Saturday – when there is no Premier League or Championship football – with a special £5 offer for season-ticket holders of other clubs.

Brown’s side has exited two cup competitions over the past 10 days to interrupt their winning streak.

But the Blues’ boss will hope to have his squad back towards full strength for a return to the priority of the league campaign.

Tadcaster head over the county border on the back of a five-game winless run with ex-Brighouse Town manager Paul Quinn aiming to end a sequence of three straight losses since the departure of Curtis Woodhouse to Gainsborough Trinity.