ROSS Baxter was unusually guarded when the Lancashire Evening Telegraph contacted him about his Safe Hands award for December.

The Colne keeper thought it was the gaffer winding him up! "I thought Andy (Lawson) was winding me up because he's always playing practical jokes," said Baxter.

The award, however, was no joke as the young keeper kept two clean sheets for his side during December, and it was well deserved, according to his manager.

"Ross has been playing well for a couple of years now. He's a big guy, and has been outstanding this season, so I'm glad we've got him under contract," Lawson said.

Baxter hopes to put more clean sheets under his belt as the side prepare to take on Ashton in NWCL Division Two tomorrow, in the first of two clashes in three weeks. They have also been drawn away to them in the quarter finals of the Second Division Trophy.

"The award is a credit to my defence, and the clean sheets give us more confidence," said Lawson.

"Hopefully we can do the double over Ashton in the next few weeks."

Lawson and Dean Grice have had a reasonably successful start to their reign at Colne so far, but Lawson wants the team to aim even higher: "I want us to be able to put a run together to get into the top five. We will be concentrating on the league game against Ashton first, then the cup game when that comes around."

Colne have a fully fit squad following recent postponements and are still waiting to play their first game of the New Year.