A New Year usually brings new hope, but in AFC Telford United’s case it has delivered only a mystifying loss of home league form.

From August to December the Bucks were simply invincible on their own patch.

Now, in the space of a little over two weeks, they have lost two on the trot – and to two of the most troubled sides in the Blue Square North at that.

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The defeat to crisis-hit Stafford Rangers on Boxing Day was simply awful, with not one player emerging with any credit.

Against struggling Hyde on Saturday they were not so bad. Referee Carl Dunn certainly played his part in their downfall.

It might have been a different story had he seen fit to produce his red card when Hyde’s Chris Simm flew in late with studs showing on keeper Ryan Young, or when the same player raised his hands off the ball to Jimmy Turner.

Yet it would be all too simple to blame the official alone – the Bucks were made to pay for some inexplicable individual errors and a moment of kamikaze defending. 

The simple truth is that they really cannot afford too many more mistakes, especially on their own turf, if they are to stay among that elite pack at the top.

It had seemed they were back on track as they walked off at half-time leading 1-0 thanks to a magical finish from the prolific Danny Carey-Bertram.

His excellent close control, skilful pivot and deadly finish was the highlight of the whole afternoon, certainly from a Telford perspective, and did not deserve to end up part of a losing effort.

The performance had been nothing to write home about, but there had been little to suggest what was to come in the following 45 minutes.

Hyde boss Neil Tolson deserved credit for his decisive substitution at the break, bringing on the lively Daniel Douglas-Pringle

The new arrival made an almost instant impact, jinking past defender Turner all too easily before drilling a shot into the bottom corner.

If that stunned the home fans then they were positively speechless at what was to follow just four minutes later.

The Tigers won a free-kick just over the halfway line, Nicky Clee lobbing the ball into the box and Young leaping for what seemed a routine catch.

The normally immaculate keeper spilled it straight at the feet of the fortuitous Simm though, and he needed no second invitation to drill it home.

Telford’s response was hardly decisive, but they finally got going in the final 20 minutes after the introduction of the impressive Danny Edwards and chief goal poacher Terry Fearns.

Those two combined straight away, Fearns drawing a decent save out of Hyde custodian Craig Dootson after a thrilling run and cross by Edwards.

Fearns also hit the woodwork with a screaming shot 10 minutes before the end and finally made the pressure tell when he headed in off Edwards’ corner from the left.

The game seemed there for the taking at that point, though adrenaline might have kicked in a little too much as the Bucks committed ever-increasing numbers forward.

That proved costly with just two minutes left on the clock as Hyde broke and found themselves in a happy three-on-one situation.

Simm was the man to surge forward and his cross deflected to Clee. The midfielder’s first effort struck the bar but fortune was clearly smiling on him as the rebound dropped straight to his feet and he gratefully lapped up the second chance.

Even then, the Bucks might have rescued a point in a fast and furious finale and, for all their possession and chances, it would probably have been fully deserved.

In the cups, Telford remain dangerous and so you would not bet against them taking out their frustration on Kettering in tomorrow’s Setanta Shield tie.

Yet the league is the prize they covet the most and, on that front, they have a lot to do to stay in the hunt.

By Chris Hudson