By Chris Hudson

It promises to be one of the most exciting weeks in AFC Telford United’s brief history – and it certainly got off to a thrilling start.

The Bucks were totally dominant but deeply dejected for most of the match until Andy Brown’s dramatic seven-minute hat-trick at the death turned proceedings on their head.

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With the excitement of an FA Cup clash against Southend next Saturday and the small matter of a Setanta Shield tie with Cambridge tomorrow as well, there was a tacit sense that this was an all-but guaranteed three points.

Hucknall arrived at the New Bucks Head at the bottom of the Blue Square North table and four points adrift of the rest – surely Telford, unbeaten at home, wouldn’t slip up?

They certainly exploded out of the blocks, laying siege to the Hucknall goal inside the first 20 minutes and creating a plethora of opportunities.

All season, they have struggled with the final ball though, and this proved their downfall once more as chances went begging.

The Yellows, who looked to be clinging on by the very skin of their teeth, had barely crossed the halfway line when they suddenly took the lead on 22 minutes.

Chris Shaw floated a well-measured free-kick into the box and Gary Sucharewycz produced a textbook header to find the target – though questions have to be asked about how the big defender was gifted so much time and space on the edge of the six-yard box.

Telford responded by pouring forward once again, Brown heading inches wide off a peach of a cross by the impressive Lee Vaughan.

They could have been embarrassed minutes later, however, as Danny Bacon almost left keeper Ryan Young with egg on his face, going for goal with an unlikely 40-yard lob and only just misjudging his effort.

The growing and uneasy sense that this might not be the Shropshire side’s day was reinforced on 36 minutes as Lee Moore thumped a shot which came thudding back off the bar.

Terry Fearns, following up, saw his effort brilliantly headed over for a corner from almost under the crossbar by Matt Baxter.

Boss Rob Smith had clearly seen enough and introduced recent signing Danny Carey-Bertram to the starting line-up at the interval.

The former Hereford and Forest Green man was soon in the thick of the action, forcing a save out of Michael Chapman and showing promising signs of a decent understanding with the hard-working Brown.

It was the introduction of Martyn Naylor 20 minutes from time, though, that really proved the turning point.

He replaced the ineffective Fearns and instantly gave the Bucks more bite on the right flank, combining very well with Vaughan to pile evenmore pressure on the Hucknall defence.

With time running out, the hosts finally levelled as Naylor’s corner deflected off Carey-Bertram to Brown and he got enough on his shot to get it over the line before the despairing defence could hack it away.

With their long resistance finally broken, the Nottinghamshire side now capitulated in rapid and spectacular fashion.

In less than three minutes, Telford were ahead – Brown flicking a header over Chapman off a Naylor free-kick deep inside his own half.

The third was the icing on the cake, Carey-Bertram with a delightful pass and Brown with a deft flick to wrong-foot his marker and an even better finish.

It’s now 12 games unbeaten for the Bucks and the Blue Square North table is starting to make much better reading – especially with front two Tamworth and Southport both dropping points.

It was also a second consecutive performance that had seen the Shropshire side dominate from start to finish.

The watching Cambridge and Southend scouts will surely have left with food for thought.