Rob Smith, manager of AFC Telford United

AFC Telford United boss Rob Smith has vowed to keep fighting, insisting: “The players are still behind me.”

Smith and assistant Larry Chambers are out of contract at the end of the season and their future is shrouded in doubt after a campaign that has seen the Bucks miss out on the Blue Square North play-offs.

They have won just one of their last 10, the latest setback coming with a 2-1 defeat at Workington on Saturday.

But Smith is determined to try and finish in better fashion in the final two games of the season – at home to Corby on Saturday and at Vauxhall Motors a week later.

“We’ll keep approaching it in the same way as we did on Saturday,” he said. “We were desperate to get a result at Workington.

“The lads have come in for a lot of criticism this season, probably rightly so, but I don’t see what more we could have done up there – apart from putting the ball in the back of the net.

“Anyone who was there from Telford could see it was a spirited performance.

“Anyone who thinks those lads don’t want to play for the club, or don’t want to play for me and Larry, is wrong.”

Smith admits his squad will again be stretched to his limit for the last couple of games, with injury and suspension proving telling.

Midfielder turned right-back Jon Adams is sidelined with a hamstring injury, while centre-back Adam Dugdale will be suspended after his red card at Ilkeston on Easter Saturday.

With Lee Vaughan also awaiting the outcome of an FA misconduct charge, the Bucks are likely to be depleted.

“We’re struggling a little bit but we’ve just got to try and limp through to the end and try to get as many points as we can,” said Smith.

• Telford’s youth team are through to the final of the Midland Floodlit Youth League Cup. Rob Millington and Dave Howarth both scored twice, with Jay Evans also on target in a 5-0 win over Romulus Youth. They will now play Gloucester or Newcastle Town in the final at Solihull Moors on Monday, May 3.