AFC Telford United 7 Lowestoft 1: Bucks run riot after hour delay following horror injury

Burwood regained consciousness but couldn’t be moved until paramedics moved him to an ambulance, and left to warm applause from the home crowd.

Already relegated, Lowestoft were having a torrid afternoon, with Burwood conceding four goals in the opening thirty minutes.

Bucks striker Matty Stenson raced to a club record twenty-seventh goal of the season within forty-five seconds, sent through on goal to beat Burwood with a decisive low finish to the keeper’s left.

The Bucks went close on several more occasions before Dylan Allen-Hadley opened his Bucks account. The March arrival from Alvechurch has had a quiet start to his Bucks career, but when sent through, he was held up by a defender before finding room to drive the ball hard across Burwood for the second.

A foul on Stenson just outside the box brought a third goal, three minutes later, as Stenson cracked home a low shot from the ‘D’ to Burwood’s left, and Stenson claimed the match ball on the half-hour. Sent charging in behind the defence, a trademark Stenson finish under Burwood stretched the lead.

Stenson milked the applause for his first hat-trick for the club, taking him to twenty-nine goals for the season and a new phoenix club record, surpassing Daniel Udoh’s twenty-six goals in the 2018/19 campaign.

The party was getting started, but Burwood’s collision with Lawal as both went in, fully committed, for a ball across the six-yard box, brought a hush to the stadium as players from both teams formed a screen in front of Burwood as he received attention.

After a delay of more than an hour, play resumed, and both teams were allowed to warm up.

Lowestoft skipper Travis Cole cut the deficit with a close-range finish after an incisive dart past Jordan Cranston by Harvey Sayer, but before the actual half-time interval, the Bucks made it five; Stenson tapped in his fourth past substitute keeper Ronnie Yeo after Hadley put the ball goalwards from the right.

The Bucks added to more before the close. Stenson rifled in his fifth when put through against Yeo, creating another new ‘AFC’ club record for individual goals in a game into the bargain. Yeo made some creditable saves, denying Hadley and Armson, before substitute Byron Moore dinked the seventh over him with three minutes remaining.

Attendance: 1,797.

AFC Telford United: Hall, Fridye-Harper (Myles 45’), Cranston, Piggott, Pendley, Allen-Hadley, Rowe (c), Armson, Stenson (Moore 73’), Lawal (Brown 38’), Walker (Whittall 73’).

Subs: (unused) Cawthorne.

Scorers: Stenson (1’, 23’, 29’, 45’, 70’), Hadley (20’), Moore (86’).

Cautioned: Rowe.

Lowestoft Town: Burwood (33’), Norman, Haddoch, Duffy, Cole, Ayoola, Haylock, Johnson (Howell 89’), Rangel (Blogg 74’), Sayer (Aldous 74’), Eagle.

Subs (unused): Overton.

Referee: Jack Shepherd.

Assistants: James Claytor and Ashley Devonport.