Watson hoping for chance

Exeter City striker Ben Watson has enjoyed only brief spells in the first team since he moved to the Devon club from Grays Athletic in 2008.

Injuries have meant that Watson has only appeared 13 times for The Grecians in the league since their return to the football league two seasons ago but now he is fit again and will be desperate to impress manager Paul Tisdale.

A couple of important goals from Watson at the end of the 2007/08 season prompted Tisdale to make his initial loan deal from Grays permanent. His crucial penalty against rivals Torquay in the Blue Square Premier play-offs also won him favour with the fans and it seemed the he`d given himself the ideal launch pad to go and earn a regular starting berth in attack.

The 2008/09 season was Watson`s first season in the football league and he started brightly, appearing regularly for Exeter City making 14 appearances before Christmas and scoring in home fixtures against Accrington Stanley and Rotherham.

But injury struck just before the turn of the year and Watson was ruled out for the rest of the season. He could only look on as his team mates went on to secure the clubs second promotion in two seasons.

The management staff decided to stick by him though and Watson began the next season in terrific form for the reserves as he built hit fitness up, rumours were rife of a return to the first team, but Injury struck again for the unlucky striker. A late tem minute cameo appearance in a home defeat to lowly Stockport was all he had to show for the 2009/10 campaign.

Once again he could only look on as a spectator as his team mates performed last day heroics this time to preserve their League One status.

Watson was given another chance by Tisdale last summer and proved his fitness by completing a successful pre-season. Having spent so long in the treatment room Watson was sent out on-loan to non-league Forest Green for a fleeting loan visit to gain much needed match sharpness.

Having just returned from that loan spell Watson finds himself predictably down the pecking order, in attack Richard Logan has been joined by summer recruits Daniel Nardiello, John O`flynn and Jamie Cureton all of whom have made impressive starts to their Exeter City careers.

However injuries meant that Watson found himself on the bench for last weekends defeat at MK Dons a sign that a chance may be just around the corner for him to finally realise his potential.

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