Boss Rob Smith is calling on AFC Telford United to be professional in the end-of-season run-in – despite accepting their play-off hopes are over.

The Bucks went down 2-1 at Ilkeston in controversial fashion on Easter Saturday – a result that saw them plummet three places to ninth in the Blue Square North.

And that left them going into today’s clash at home to Gloucester knowing that a top five finish is now all but beyond them.“We’re out of it now and we know that,” said Smith.

“The end of the season can’t come quickly enough for me, because really I know that we’ve got no chance now.

“But we still have to be professional about it and try to finish the season on a high.

“We shouldn’t be in this position, we shouldn’t be scrapping around,” he added.

“The bottom line is that we have come away and lost again, and that was heart-breaking for me.”

Telford certainly had cause for complaint as they reflected on their defeat at Ilkeston, with a number of major decisions going against them – not least the dismissal of Adam Dugdale.

Defender Dugdale had actually put the Bucks in front with a 70th minute header, and they looked set at that stage to go level with Hinckley in the final play-off place.

But Dugdale was shown a dubious second yellow card for an alleged trip on keeper Dan Lowson, and the hosts then scored twice in the last 11 minutes to stun the Bucks.

“The referee’s put a nail in our coffin and I don’t think we deserved that,” said Smith.“With Dugdale on the pitch we would have won the game. I asked Duggy outright (if there had been a trip), he said he didn’t touch him, and he didn’t need to lie to me.”