AFC Telford 3 Guiseley 2 - match report

Seven long years in exile are over.

AFC Telford United have never believed in doing things the easy way and once again they ran the emotions of their supporters raw.

But, from 2-1 down to Guiseley and with a little over 10 minutes to go, they found from somewhere the inner belief to turn on its head a game that had been drifting away.

And, when Phil Trainer found the roof of the net with a header in the third minute of injury time, it marked the end of a journey that had seemed impossible in the dark days of May 2004.

Back then senior football in Telford looked to be gone forever as the old club folded in the financial storm-cloud that engulfed then chairman Andy Shaw.

Yet from that burning inferno of a disaster rose the phoenix that was AFC Telford United.

Their rise was dramatic but the final hurdle - to take the club to that lofty status at the top of non-League football occupied by its predecessor — has been the hardest.

And credit too, to vanquished opponents Guiseley who ensured that the Bucks' third attempt at winning the Blue Square Bet North play-offs would prove a roller-coaster.

Boss Andy Sinton must have been dreaming of an early goal and he got just that when his side were rightly awarded a penalty inside 10 minutes as Trainer found himself the victim of a push.

Sean Newton duly stepped up to bury his third spot-kick in four games and spark a carnival atmosphere among all but a tiny pocket of the crowd of more than 5,400.

But the Bucks were unable to build on that barnstorming start and Guiseley always carried a threat, with James Walshaw and Darryn Stamp causing problems for the Telford defence.

And they combined to win Guiseley the penalty that brought them level right at the end of the first half.

It was Stamp who played Walshaw in, and his attempted cross clearly struck the arm of defender Stuart Whitehead. Walshaw dening keeper Ryan Young the wrong way from 12 yards.

If that was enough to put doubt in the minds of the home fans then the second goal — less than two minutes into the second half — really silenced them.

The Yorkshire side moved the ball from right to left through Warren Peyton, Gavin Rothery and Walshaw, who then skinned Will Salmon and squared the ball to present Stamp with the easiest of tap-ins.

That goal signalled the end of Whitehead, who had been struggling with injury, quickly replaced Liam Murray — a switch of which the significance would be felt later on.

Telford showed no sign that they could turn the tide until a rash of further substitutions put a different spin on the game.

Bucks boss Sinton made the bold decision to sacrifice Greg Mills and Adam Proudlock — usually two of his bigger players — in order to match the visitors' three-man midfield.

And equally significant was Guiseley chief Steve Kittrick's decision to replace Stamp 14 minutes from time and try to throw down the shutters.

Stamp had been effective all afternoon in holding the ball up in Telford's final third and his departure gave the hosts licence to attack more freely.

The opening for the second goal was presented on a plate as full-back Salmon was cynically hacked down by Rothery.

Newton bent in a wicked free-kick that Murray attacked with conviction, sending a terrific free header arrowing into the net.

It was a strike that changed the mood inside the New Bucks Head, anxious tension giving way first to unbridled joy then to deafening roars as the fans urged their team to push for a winner.

Top scorer Andy Brown went close as he latched onto a defence-splitting pass from Newton but Guiseley keeper Steven Drench pulled off a super save.

It seemed then that extra-time was ineveitable but, three minutes into the four to be added on, came the moment that will live on for every Telford fan who was there.

Jon Adams looked to offer little threat as he slowly advanced in the right channel but he was felled from behind.

Referee Darren England played a telling advantage as the ball broke to Brown.

He looked up and curled in a perfect cross for the run of Phil Trainer who sent a strong header down into the turf and watched over-joyed as it bounced up into the roof of the net.

There was barely time for Guiseley to kick-off before the final whistle sounded to spark a party that went on long into the night.

Yes, it's been seven long years. But it's been worth the wait.

Match analysis by CHRIS HUDSON