Droylsden 2 AFC Telford 4 - match report

Lightning struck twice for AFC Telford as Droylsden proved a happy hunting ground for the second consecutive season.

Last term a 5-1 win provided an unexpected and rare highlight in an otherwise frustrating campaign.

And last night's raid on the Butchers Arms Ground proved just as fruitful, the 4-2 victory a perfect tonic for defeat by the same scoreline at home to Solihull on Saturday.

That it came against an in-form Droylsden side who had not lost since August and who had won eight of their last 10 and all of their last five was all the more remarkable.

The result sends out a real message to the rest of the Blue Square Bet North promotion hopefuls that the Bucks are a force to be reckoned with.

And the glut of goals will also have done wonders for the confidence of an attack that had been rather shot-shy in recent weeks.

"It was an outstanding performance where we've had to do a little bit of everything," said cock-a-hoop boss Andy Sinton.

"I went with a side and a gameplan a little bit different to the way we have been playing.

"But you do your homework on your opposition and I thought we stopped them playing.

"We played really well ourselves, looked a threat and score some good goals."

That gameplan saw Adam Proudlock operating as the main striker with Greg Mills and James Lawrie asked to support him from wide positions and a re-inforced midfield trio charged with stopping the hosts from getting into a rhythm.

It worked better than Sinton could have dared to dream as his side raced into a three-goal lead inside 23 minutes — though some howlers from Bloods keeper Paul Phillips certainly helped their cause.

The Bucks were in front on 11 minutes when Carl Rodgers pounced on a half-cleared Sean Newton cross and struck a sweet low volley.

The ball skidded off the greasy surface and into the bottom corner, Phillips left to wonder if he should have done better.

He had no doubt seven minutes later though, the butter-fingered custodian letting a weak, mishit shot from Greg Mills squirm through his grasp to present Proudlock with the easiest of tap-ins.

And he must have been hoping the ground would open up and swallow him just another five minutes later when he was beaten at his near post for Proudlock to register his second of the night.

At that point the contest already looked as good as all over, and it might have got worse for Droylsden early in the second half — Phillips going some way to making amends for his earlier errors with a stunning reaction save to deny Proudlock his hat-trick.

Dave Pace's side finally woke from their slumber to make a game of it in the last half hour — reducing the deficit just past the hour with former Shrewsbury striker Jody Banim on target.

Hopes of a fightback were quickly dashed as James Lawrie headed a fourth from a corner before Proudlock missed a golden opportunity to kill the game stone dead.

Instead, home substitute Matty Smith headed his side's second to set up a helter-skelter last 15 minutes.

Droylsden chucked the proverbial kitchen sink at Telford in that finale but found chances at a premium.

Even when they did get a sniff of goal, keeper Ryan Young proved an unbeatable barrier.

Celebrating his club record 187th appearance, it was fitting that he should play a starring role — and he made one fabulous double save to calm any late nerves.

"They put us under pressure, which is no more than we expected," added Sinton.

"After Saturday that was a magnificent response. I can't give our players in that dressing room enough credit."

By CHRIS HUDSON