A place in the next round and an unbeaten record now extended to 10 games – it was Mission Accomplished for AFC Telford United.

Yet this was a far from convincing performance from the Bucks, despite the five goals they racked up against a determined Stourbridge side.

“That wasn’t the real us today,” boss Andy Sinton said to me as he waited to formally start the post-match press interviews.

His team were certainly uncharacteristically sloppy during a crazy first half that featured six goals and a clear-cut penalty rejected.

The action started with a bang, Andy Brown putting Telford ahead with a cheeky back-heel after just 57 seconds – only for Stourbridge to draw level a minute later with Dean Canavan finishing stylishly.

Supporters had barely finished drawing breath again before the Bucks had restored their lead on six minutes, Phil Trainer with his seventh of the season as he was gifted the freedom of the penalty area to score off Greg Mills’ corner.

Yet the Zamaertto League side had already shown enough invention to suggest that lead was not secure, and they duly bagged a second equaliser on 22 minutes.

This time it was Ryan Rowe on target with a neat strike after playmaker Canavan had turned creator.

It then could – and probably should – have got even worse for Telford as Stourbridge came forward again and Rowe went down under a clumsy looking challenge from keeper Ryan Young.

It looked a sure penalty yet referee Ollie Yates, who made a number of head-scratching decisions, waved appeals away.

That was undoubtedly a defining moment and it would have been interesting to see how the Bucks would have responded had they gone behind for the first time.

As it was, they dashed straight down the other end and promptly regained the lead.

This time it came from a well-worked corner, Liam Murray rising highest to apply the final touch.

Still the drama had not finished, and Telford had a fourth just five minutes later with a superbly executed free-kick from Mills.

Positioned just outside the left corner of the box, he lifted his strike up and over the two-man wall and watched it dip into the bottom corner.

After such excitement, the second half was never likely to produce more of the same.

Sinton, by his own admission, read the riot act at the break – admonishing a slack display despite his side’s two-goal advantage.

He got a response in the form of a much tighter performance in the second 45 minutes, during which the Glassboys rarely threatened to get back into the game.

Indeed, Telford were the ones looking more likely to score again, with Solly’s goal leading something of a charmed life.

Substitute Steve Abbott – on for the injured Brown – went close with a shot that came back off the bar, while Alex Meechan’s follow-up was blocked by the keeper’s legs.

Jon Adams also tested Solly with a long-range shot that was tipped over the bar, while skipper Shane Killock shaved the top of the woodwork with a dramatic overhead kick.

And Meechan should surely have won a penalty for the Bucks when Paul McCone grabbed a fistful of his shirt in the area to pull him down.

Again, Mr Yates was unwilling to point to the spot.

Stourbridge finally caved a minute from time, Killock heading in unmarked from Philip John’s corner to give the scoreline the gloss it probably deserved by now.

Yet Telford – with tough clashes against Worcester and Alfreton in the next three weeks – will know they will have to raise their game to retain their proud unbeaten record.

Match analysis by Chris Hudson