AFC Telford United analysis: A good week for the Bucks as attention turns to FA Cup

The forthcoming tie away to Sutton United could easily have distracted Bucks from the need to put more points on the board. 

But their cup and league have complemented each other, and a home game against difficult, direct opponents had a different complexion than might have been the case. 

The Bucks look like a different animal now, and they outlasted the predatory but cumbersome Tigers in a hard-fought contest.

After matches on both Saturday and Tuesday, Wilkin had referenced the need to manage the players’ workload, so it may have surprised some that he made only one change to his starting XI. Ammar Dyer left out as a precaution and replaced at right-back by Jid Fridye-Harper.

The Bucks weren’t slow to try to gain the upper hand. They should have led after just a few minutes, when a long throw into the box was missed by Dylan Cogill, allowing Matty Stenson  to cross low into the middle. The ball through the six-yard box demanded a touch, but Charlie Williams arrived a split-second too late to finish.

They maintained their approach, without ever coming quite as close again, and slowly the visitors began to find their way into the game.

Forwards Liam Hughes and Jordan Burrow both utilise vast experience and physical presence to good effect, and it was Burrow who opened the scoring in the 23rd minute.

A free-kick awarded was lofted to the left of the box, and although the Bucks repelled the initial salvo, a low effort on the follow-up was diverted into the path of Burrow and he slotted in low to Josh Gracey’s left.

If that was a blow, losing Oliver Cawthorne to an injury a couple of minutes later compounded it. 

The central defender has been a rock for Wilkin, but twisted his ankle and, after attempting to play on, admitted defeat and limped off.The Bucks regrouped, with Rhys Hilton introduced from the bench and Jamie Meddows moved to left-back to cover for Jordan Cranston, switched to the middle of the back four to partner Jordan Piggott.

They weren’t behind for long, and it was inattention from the Tigers’ Oluwatobi Joseph that led to the Bucks being awarded a penalty.

A Bucks attack on the right saw Williams fling himself vainly at Fridye-Harper’s cross and go tumbling as Taylor claimed the ball. 

The visitors tried to play out from the back, but with few options, Joseph rolled the ball back to Taylor, unaware that Williams had not long got to his feet and was in proximity. 

Williams challenged Taylor, and the keeper’s outstretched foot brought Williams down, referee Neil Pratt taking a few seconds to deliberate but pointing to the spot.

Stenson placed the ball, showing commendable gumption after his failure from 12 yards at Hereford, and drove a low, hard finish into Taylor’s bottom-left corner.

Stenson then directed a near-post header over the crossbar minutes later as the hosts sought to utilise the morale boost provided by the goal.

And as half-time approached, Meddows came within the width of the post of putting the Bucks ahead when his low, skidding effort struck the outside of the post.

Within seven minutes of the restart, the Bucks took the lead, and it was Meddows causing problems that led to Cogill putting through his own goal. 

A well-constructed move down the left ended with Meddows being invited to cross low from the left; Cogill’s hapless attempt to clear saw him swing at the ball off-balance, and the ball struck him and trundled across the line.

Wilkin’s side showed little desire to merely hold on to what they had. Walker had a shot blocked from 15 yards, the ball rebounding for Williams, but he couldn’t execute a mid-air volley, the ball landing on the roof of the net.

Stenson then had to pull wide to stay onside from a through ball to the left of the box, and as a result, his shot across Taylor was too close to the keeper, but earned a corner from which Williams headed wide.

Williams made way for Ricardo Dinanga as the Bucks sought a clinching third goal, and Hilton had a shot blocked.

The Bucks were coping fairly well, but with a single goal separating the teams, they knew it would only take one lapse to see them lose maximum points. 

As the game entered added time, the Tigers won an attacking throw on the left, and the ball was hurled towards the near post.The Bucks’ makeshift back four made the rookie error of allowing the ball to bounce, and Burrow nodded the ball goalwards, only for Gracey to instinctively palm the ball upwards and off the bar. It rebounded back to Burrow, but with a split-second to react, nudged his second effort over.

More late Tigers’ pressure followed, the Bucks conceding a corner from Taylor’s planting of the ball into their box, and it almost produced a goal, but at the other end. 

The corner kick, aimed deep, was nodded back into the middle, but Hilton won it. The winger tore away downfield with substitute Deegan Atherton twice risking a red card by trying to grab his shirt.

Hilton slowed as he reached the box and had Fletcher and substitute Adan George as options, but went for glory, foxing a covering defender but driving his shot against a second. The ball rebounded to him, and Taylor turned his second effort over the bar for a corner. 

The goal would have sealed it, but the corner as good as did the job, with Worksop penned at the wrong end as the whistle blew, bringing the Bucks victory.

AFC Telford United (4-3-3): Gracey, Fridye-Harper, Cranston, Piggott, Cawthorne (Hilton 25), Fletcher, Walker (Armson 81), Leshabela, Meddows, Stenson (George 90’), Williams (Dinanga 75). Subs: (unused) Rowe, Lawal.