Goal - Damian Reeves of AFC Telford United scores his second goal of the match

For all their faults this season, there is a growing belief that AFC Telford United can gatecrash the Blue Square North play-off party.

Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 win over Redditch United furthered a return to form for the Bucks who now find themselves just three points off a place in the top five.

And with a favourable run-in coupled with the sides around them beginning to drop points – the mid winter despair is starting to give way to optimism.

The victory erased the painful memories of an abysmal Bucks performance in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

The Bucks rarely got out of second gear and yet still found themselves three goals up within the first 23 minutes.

Damien Reeves grabbed two of them, profiting from some schoolboy defending, and with an Dave Bridgwater own goal sandwiched in between, the game was over as contest in the first quarter.

Telford scored with their first foray forward – Phil Trainer chesting a long ball into the path of Andy Brown who played in Reeves.

Hesitant

The former Alfreton Town man looked to have missed his opportunity after a poor second touch, but some hesitant defending allowed him to reclaim possession and he needed no second invitation, slotting the ball past Danny Lewis from 12 yards.

The home side looked like they could score at will during a one-sided first half with Steve Thompson pulling the strings.

The forward, still to find the net for Telford, showed neat footwork to trick his way to the byline and stand up a cross to the back post where Brown saw his header deflected wide.

Telford’s next chance resulted in the second goal.

After Thompson was fouled on the right, Sean Newton swung in a wicked free kick which glanced off the head of Bridgwater and in to the top corner.

Just four minutes later it was three. Reeves was allowed to race on to a long Shane Killock clearance as the visiting defence waited for an offside flag and poke past an exposed Lewis into the far corner.

“It was one of those games where we didn’t really do anything to go 3-0 up,” said Telford manager Rob Smith.

“It was a very difficult game to play in after that. The game was stale and it was poor to watch.

“People are will say Redditch were poor and on the day they’re probably right, but this is a Redditch team that has been picking up points of everybody.

“The big thing for me was keeping a clean sheet. We changed our formation to try and get goals and that’s worked but we’ve struggled to keep clean sheets. Obviously we got the points and a clean sheet and I can’t ask for any more.”

Smith was pleased with Reeves’ contribution after he scored his first goals since early December.

“He’s had a bad time but maybe people are coming good at the right time.”

And Telford’s two goal hero said he was delighted to finally find the net.

“It’s about time,” Reeves said. “I scored one about six or seven games ago and to be fair I’ve not played well and haven’t deserved to be in the team.

“Unfortunately Danny (Carey-Bertram) has got injured after he’s scored a few goals coming back from his loan move but you’ve got to take your chance and today I did.

“It’s frustrating when it’s not happening and you know you can do it. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s a confidence issue, but slowly it’s coming back.”