Blyth's Richard Pell and Telford's Andy Brown

It was billed as a defining week in AFC Telford United’s season – and it’s ended in two damaging defeats.

If the 2-0 loss at Northwich Victoria on Tuesday was a minor irritation, then this was a painful humiliation.

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The Bucks have suffered several bad beatings in a below par campaign, but their battering at the hands of Blyth Spartans might just top the lot.

Referee TS Rogers came in for plenty of flak from the Telford fans and the staff in the away dug-out, and his performance was certainly one of the worst I have ever witnessed at this level.

His decision to send off Sean Evans in injury-time was about the only big call he got right all afternoon, with both of Blyth’s first half goals coming from contentious free-kicks.

But to blame him entirely for the final outcome would be to ignore the dismal display produced by the visitors.

Certainly, boss Rob Smith was in no mood to attribute the result to the man in black, even if he was rightly angered by several baffling calls.

“The first goal was never a free-kick, it was an absolute joke decision,” said the Telford chief, with some justification.

“I’m not going to argue with the sending off, but all through the game we didn’t get a thing.

“I could go on about him, but we were worse than the ref.”

Telford matched their hosts in the opening exchanges, and produced arguably the move of the match on 10 minutes.

Kevin O’Connor, making his full debut, sprayed the ball out to Sean Newton on the left. He crossed for Andy Brown at the far post, who headed back for Liam Blakeman. The midfielder had time to pick his spot, but lifted his shot high over the bar.

That was about as good as it got for the away side, as Blyth took the lead just seven minutes later.

Lee Vaughan was mysteriously adjudged to have fouled on the edge of the area, though keeper Ryan Young should have held on to Gareth Williams’ free-kick. Instead, he dropped it at the feet of Ian Graham, who had followed up quickly to stab in.

That clearly gave the home side a lift, and Paul Brayson went close with a trio of chances to extend the lead.

Blyth’s top scorer finally got on the scoresheet in the third minute of injury-time, bending a free-kick into the bottom corner after Stuart Whitehead was harshly judged to have manhandled the diminutive striker.

Smith abandoned his five-man defence at the break, bringing on Phil Trainer to replace centre-back Adam Dugdale, but his side still found it hard to exert any pressure on Spartans keeper Jack Norton’s goal.

Blyth looked happy to accept the two goals they had, but got a third almost out of nothing when Young was beaten at his near post by a long-range effort from Graham.

That signalled a terrible finale, and Brayson soon had his second as he ran unimpeded onto a long ball and lobbed the keeper.

From there it was just about avoiding further humiliation, and substitute Sean Evans should have had a consolation, taking too long to get away his shot off a pinpoint cross from Vaughan.

Evans, in his first game since returning from a loan spell at Stourbridge, then received his marching orders deep into stoppage time for a stamp on Stephen Turnbull.

It was a moment of rash foolishness that summed up a dreadful team performance.

“We thought we’d done well in the second half at Northwich, but it feels like we’ve gone two steps further back at Blyth,” said assistant manager Larry Chambers.

“We need to bounce back, if nothing else the lads need to show some pride in themselves.

“They’re all paid to do a job. In any other form of industry you are expected to do the job you are paid for. I don’t think the lads did that on Saturday.”