AFC Telford 'bullied' by rock-bottom Biggleswade

A 1-1 home draw may have edged Bucks further ahead of the chasing pack at the top of the Southern Central Premier - however, it took an 87th-minute Matty Stenson equaliser to avoid the ignominy of defeat.

And Wilkin was clear that his team’s display was not up to scratch.

“In the first half, Biggleswade, and credit to them, have some fit, athletic boys and strong boys who bullied us around," he said. "We encouraged them with some of our play; we were loose, and they didn’t allow us to settle.

"I think we made poor decisions and didn’t get hold of the ball well enough and move it quickly enough into good areas and show any real quality.”

The visitors, who have only won twice this season and who sat 15 points from safety at kick-off, showed more determination than Wilkin’s side, and took the lead through Dan Izekor’s header midway through the first half, capitalising on loose Bucks possession.

The Bucks looked laboured and indecisive, and Wilkin felt the goal gave the Waders all the encouragement they needed, feeling that members of his team hadn’t shown Jimmy Martin’s strugglers sufficient respect in their own mental approach.

He said: “When you encourage them like we do with the soft goal that we give away, we're going to make life hard for ourselves.

"My biggest concern was after the two previous solid displays (Bedford and Harborough), and more than solid displays, that we didn't have the mental capacity today to be able to deal with what Biggleswade were going to throw at us.

"Before the start, it's obviously my job as manager to get us up to the right mental state to be able to do it and showing opposition the right level of respect.”

Wilkin’s words at half-time did get a response from his team, albeit not to the level desired to secure victory.

Stenson’s late leveller was probably deserved, but it would have been harsh on the Waders had they left with nothing, and the Bucks boss suggested that his team had been lulled into a false sense of security by the league table, although he took some comfort from their desire to stick with it and get something from the game.

“Credit to the boys, we kept going in the second period," added Wilkin. "I think we have the best moments but at home, we expect a bit more, I expect a bit more and I understand why the crowd expects a bit more.

"People’s view of the game, because of Biggleswade being bottom of the league… it changes players’ attitude, and that was the biggest thing.

"I'm trying to warn the lads about it before the game, to show the same mental approach that we showed against Bedford and that we showed against Harborough.

"To be able to overcome that took some resolve - people kept going, but we're in a difficult place.

"It got better in the second-half, I think maybe not as much as we'd like.

"It's nice that we salvaged something out of the game and there's moments there where you think we probably could have gone on and won it, but I don't believe they (Biggleswade) deserved that.”