AFC Telford preview: Bucks back in action - and need a similar performance

Despite being reduced to 10 men following Harry Hawkins’ first-half red card, the Bucks secured all three points, moving them up to second in the Southern Central Premier.

And with play-off chasing Spalding at the SEAH Stadium this weekend, Wilkin insisted Telford will have to be at their best to overcome Jimmy Dean’s side.

“Jimmy’s done a fantastic job wherever he’s been,” the Telford boss began. “It was obviously difficult for him at Scunthorpe for whatever reason, but he’s certainly got Spalding moving in the right way.”

When asked whether he was surprised at the speed in which the newly-promoted Tulips have settled into life in the seventh tier, Wilkin said: “I’m not at all (surprised) because they’ve recruited players that are capable of playing far and away above this level and have been plying their trade at higher levels.”

He added: “It’s going to be a really tough game. They’re well-funded, as we know after they were able to take Nathan (Fox) from us, which at the time was a big loss.

“We’ve managed to get over that and get on with it, but we know they come into this game in really good form and will have an eye on the play-offs. I’m sure it’ll be a very tough game.

“I want to score goals, and I want to keep clean sheets, that’s where I am and that’s where every manager would want to be.

“Keeping them at bay won’t be easy because they’ve got good players and will test us without a doubt, but so have we, and hopefully we can test them.

“We know they’re in really good form, but we’re in pretty decent form ourselves and it should make for a good game that obviously already has plenty on it for both sides.”

While both sides’ main focus tomorrow will be on securing the three points to aid their respective promotion challenges, an extra sub-plot to the afternoon could be the return of Nathan Fox to the SEAH Stadium after his departure six months ago.

Spalding, whose financial power has been evident with a number of signings this term, were able to lure the left-back away from Shropshire, and paid Telford a fee for his services.

“It was something that we had to be respectful of and understand,” Wilkin said of Fox’s departure. “Credit to them – if they have the finances to be able to go and do what they did, and it wasn’t just Nathan that they signed, there have been several others that they’ve signed from a higher level.

“They’re clearly in a fortunate position and fair play to them; I can’t let that bother me and I won’t. I’ll focus on our team and what we do, how we approach the game, and I’ll make sure we’re playing in a similar way to last Saturday.”