Bucks boss Rob Smith reacts after his side miss a chance against Southport

Another game and another defeat, writes AFC Telford blogger Alex James.

That’s three on the trot and three games without a goal for the Bucks as they desperately try to salvage a season which looks to be slipping away from them.

They’ve never really got going at all in 2009-10 and they now face a mighty uphill battle to even make the play-offs.

Saturday’s game at Southport saw a much improved first half showing but a poor second half defensive display, coupled with a lack of incisiveness in the final third, which ultimately contributed to another defeat.

Goals are becoming increasingly hard to come by this term with Steve Thompson yet to get off the mark and Danny Carey-Bertram’s only effort coming against Pegasus Juniors. Tiger Woods has scored more often than many of Telford’s players this season (though I’m not suggesting paring him with Andy Brown against Eastwood on Saturday would solve the goal drought.)

Saturday also saw another debutant – Adam Dugdale – making his first appearance since a loan move from Barrow.

Player turnover has been one of the main talking points of this campaign with fans claiming that actually picking the same eleven for the same game two weeks in a row might help produce results.

More than 30 players have pulled on the white shirt this season and the number of those no longer with the club is in double figures.

You’d be forgiven for forgetting the likes of Stuart Nicholson and Gareth Jelleyman such was the brevity of their stay.

And having that many short term solutions can not good for a football club.

The problem is the players on the park haven’t been performing. If Rob Smith and Larry Chambers keep faith with a side which isn’t producing the goods and results don’t improve then suddenly the fans are clamouring for changes.

They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

For what it’s worth Dugdale looked solid in the first half but wasn’t helped in the second by a disappointing team performance. Nevertheless he looks a useful acquisition.

And it’s at the back where consistency is needed. Ryan Young has been an ever-present between the sticks but a huge number of players have filled the back four slots in front of him.

Hopefully, a settled four can now be picked on a regular basis and can start to build up an understanding. A back four of Vaughan, Whitehead, Dugdale and Killock are without doubt good enough for this division, so let’s give them two or three games together as a unit and see where it takes us.

What have we got to lose?