STEVE WATSON refused to be drawn into any managerial mind games when responding to comments by Chester joint-manager Anthony Johnson.

After York City won 1-0 at nearest title challengers Chester at the weekend, Johnson frankly told ChesterLive “I think they (York) will win the league” before adding "if you finish above them then you win the league, that's it. There's no ifs or buts about that."

It was an assertion that seemed to gain in strength when York triumphed 2-1 over Boston United on Tuesday night to move eight points clear of Chester.

Whether the Chester boss’ comments were intended to put pressure on leaders York or were a true reflection of his opinion, Watson didn’t seemed fazed.

Asked for his thoughts on Johnson’s prediction, Watson laughed: “I hope he’s right!

“As I’ve said lots of times before, I’m not going to get drawn into talking about anything other than the next game.

“Obviously, I’m very happy with where we are, that goes without saying. A lot of other managers' first port of call is to mention that we’re a full-time side, but that’s neither here nor there.

“The two teams that were promoted last season were part-time teams.

“One of the first things that managers seem to mention against us is that (full-time) status.

“York have been full-time for a long time and in the past two seasons we’ve finished in mid-table.

“I’m just going to let other people talk about whatever they want to talk about.

“My way of doing things is just focusing on our business. If people say nice things, then that’s great.

“If they don’t then, then my job remains the same, to worry about ourselves.”

York’s position gained even more strength with the win over Boston, though Watson was keen to stress that both he and his players had their feet on the ground despite the eight-point gap.

“We’re not going to get carried away with that lead at all,” he said.

“I remember when I played in the Black and White shirt (for Newcastle during the late 1990s) when we were even further ahead and we didn’t win anything.

“So, I certainly won’t be getting carried away.

"The lads are in that same position too. We’ve got lads like (Steve) McNulty and Andy Bond in the dressing room who have been promoted through these leagues before.

“They know that nothing is won in October. We’ve still got loads of work to do.

“We can’t take our foot off the gas. Everyone in our dressing room is so proud of what we’ve done so far and it is a run that deserves credit.

“But we don’t want it to end. We want to do everything that we possibly can to keep this run doing and keep this momentum going.

“We’ll roll our sleeves up and go again on Saturday against Kidderminster.”

York’s win over Boston wasn’t the Minstermen at their best, as they’ve showcased at times throughout this season.

However, Watson stressed the importance of retaining a sense of perspective through the highs and lows of a long league season.

“I stand there at times and think that if things aren’t going absolutely perfectly, it’s okay,” he said.

“At times this season, you’re not going to play brilliantly.

“That’s why I don’t get too high when we’re playing well and getting results, and I don’t get too low when we’re not playing too well.

“Luckily, I’ve not been low when we’ve been beat as that hasn’t happened so far and long may that continue.”

Meanwhile, York have been drawn at home to Pickering Town in round one of the North Riding FA Senior Cup. The ties will be played on or before November 30.