Pivotal weekend for Telford & Wrekin promotion bid

The St Georges-based side sit fifth after a 3-1 success at home to Old Silhillians last Sunday, 24 hours after their derby with Shrewsbury fell victim to the weather.

Woodrow & Co, six points off the top two and seven behind leaders Boots, travel to bottom club Leicester on Saturday.

And with the top four all facing each other, Telford know they must make up ground.

"We can't afford to slip up, we need to win all our games if we are to get promotion," said defender Woodrow.

"We know if we win we will close the gap on at least two teams, so that's a big incentive for us.

"Leicester may be bottom but they gave us a good game at our place, they only lost 2-1 and it could have been a draw.

"They don't seem to get hammered by many teams, they generally lose by the odd goal."

Dave Tracey is a doubt for Telford after he picked up a calf injury during the warm-up on Sunday.

Captain Sam Mallett opened the scoring against Old Silhillians before Alex Johnson doubled the advantage from a short corner.

After the break, Phil Bailey made it 3-0 from a short corner before the visitors netted a late consolation.

Telford's postponed clash with Shrewsbury has been pencilled in for Sunday, February 26.

Shrewsbury hope to be able to field their strongest available team at Finchfield as they desperately seek points to kickstart a revival at the wrong end of Midlands Two.

The Roman Road Sports Centre side, deducted three points for not being able to fulfil their recent rearranged game at fellow strugglers Coalville, are in the division's bottom two, six points adrift of the team above them.

They were beaten 6-3 at home by Nottingham-based Boots, the new leaders, in another rearranged clash last Sunday.

Shrewsbury utility man JP Turford said: "We beat Finchfield at our place earlier in the season so hopefully we can go there with our strongest possible side.

"Although we lost to Boots last Sunday, we again showed that we can be a match for any team in this division when we play well."

The ruthless finishing of Boots, beaten just once in 16 league games this season, ultimately proved the difference between the sides.

Shrewsbury trailed 3-2 at the break with goals from Jamie McVittie and Nick Price keeping them in the hunt. Boots moved 5-2 clear after the restart and then struck again after McVittie briefly cut the arrears with his second goal of the game.

Turford said: "Boots are a good side but we played a lot better against them than when we lost there in the first half of the season

."