Four months from now, when the big prizes are finally handed out, this gritty draw will barely register in the memory banks. 

Yet its significance could prove to be immense as Telford managed to stop the proverbial rot before it had truly set in. 

Labouring to victory at Stafford on Boxing Day they had then been truly abysmal in falling to defeat in the opening match of 2009. 

See our photo gallery here and read the full story in today’s Shropshire Star

Confidence levels could have been badly shaken by a second straight reverse, especially against a King’s Lynn side who themselves had not won in seven matches. 

As it is, they can go forward with a real sense of belief and hope about the path their season is taking. 

They have reached the halfway point just two points adrift of the leaders, and with interest still in the FA Trophy and the Setanta Shield. It’s safe to say most fans would happily have taken that back in August. 

They hardly had things all their own way at The Walks Stadium, and owed a huge debt of gratitude to some sensational saves from goalkeeper Ryan Young. 

The Linnets created the better chances and enjoyed long spells of pressure, especially in the second half. 

Telford though, weathered that storm and seemed to be on their way to another win when Andy Brown rather fortuitously put them ahead 10 minutes from time. 

Substitute Danny Edwards’ super cross from the left was headed goalwards by Carl Rodgers and went in off Brown’s shin – the striker knowing very little about it. 

The hosts equalised with four minutes left on the clock, making the most a free-kick that mystified the Bucks – the latest in a long line of decisions by referee Robert Atkin which angered boss Rob Smith. 

Keeper Ryan Young saved the initial effort from Jack Defty, but the ball was turned back into the six-yard box and Luke Graham fired in for his second goal in three days. 

A draw was probably a fair score from a match that was characterised by a number of niggly clashes between both sets of players. 

Mr Atkin might easily have reached for his cards inside the first 10 minutes after a bout of pushing and shoving inside the box between Telford skipper Gavin Cowan and King’s Lynn’s Bradley Thomas as the visitors prepared to defend a free-kick. 

That set the tone for a number of bad tempered spats throughout the afternoon, despite the absence of any truly nasty challenges. 

It all made for a match that never really got going as an entertaining spectacle, especially as the temperature plunged below zero. 

Telford’s best chance in the first half came when Jon Adams released Danny Carey-Bertram down the right-hand side and he skinned full-back Mark Camm before cutting in and forcing a save out of former Shrewsbury keeper Scott Howie. 

At the other end, ex-Villa striker Julian Joachim came close when he glanced a header goalwards off Adam Smith’s free-kick – Young diving at full stretch for his first great save of the day. 

Young was at it again after the break, producing an acrobatic save to keep out a real howitzer from substitute Defty. 

Joachim then fired wide in a good position before being denied yet again by a superb challenge from Indy Khela. 

It proved to be Khela’s last major contribution of the afternoon as a hamstring injury forced him off early. 

By then boss Smith had already made a double substitution, and it was the introduction of Danny Edwards that helped the Bucks to regain the initiative. 

He whipped in a number of dangerous crosses, and teed up Carey-Bertram for one glorious chance – only for the normally-prolific hitman to blaze over. 

It was Edwards’ delivery that finally helped break the deadlock though, before the hosts restored parity with that late equaliser – despite another fine save from Young. 

The Bucks will know they can play better, but they will also take heart from a more committed performance that went a long way to answering the questions posed by their own manager. 

By Chris Hudson