Kingstonian boss Alan Dowson has hailed Bobby Traynor as his best ever signing after the striker landed the FA Cup player of the round award this week.

The 25-year-old former Brentford trainee bagged a pair of tickets to May’s cup final after scoring a hat-trick against Bognor Regis Town in the first qualifying round earlier this month.

Dowson brought Traynor to Kingsmeadow from Walton & Hersham when the genial Geordie first took charge in the wake of Stuart McIntyre’s departure nearly three years ago.

And the manager wouldn’t swap him for anyone.

“If I ever get a better signing I’ll be doing very, very well. He has been outstanding for us,” he said.

“When he first came his goals helped us avoid relegation, then he almost got us to the play-offs and last season he scored 36 goals to win us the league.

“He is my best signing ever and I can’t imagine making a better one. He is the best player we have by a million miles.”

Traynor already has nine goals to his name this term and has played a full part in the club’s recent revival since opening the campaign with four straight defeats.

But Dowson, who has brought in nine new faces over the last month, insists avoiding Ryman League Premier Division relegation remains his priority this campaign.

“We are not good enough to be in the top five, but at the same time we are not bad enough to be in the bottom four,” he added.

“Our first target is to finish as far away from the bottom of the league as possible.”

Kingstonian travel to Hendon in the FA Cup second qualifying round on Saturday with Dowson insisting it is the result that counts.

“I don’t give a monkey’s how we play at the weekend, as long as we win. That is what cup football is all about.” he said.