AFC Telford 1 Lincoln 2 - match report

AFC Telford United's big night in the non-League spotlight was tarnished by old favourite Kyle Perry – who drew his inspiration from the club's own matchday programme.

Perry, whose goals blasted the Bucks to promotion in their debut season back in 2004-05, came off the bench to be the two-goal hero for new club Lincoln City last night.

And the 25-year-old revealed how a short panel in the programme highlighting his failure to score during a 31-game spell at Port Vale had fired him up to ram the taunt back down Telford throats.

"Reading that in the programme got me going," he admitted.

"Some of our lads were digging me when I was sitting on the bench and when I was getting ready to come on they told me to stick it to them. Hopefully I did.

"I still went around and clapped the Telford fans at the end because it meant a lot to me playing here."

When Perry entered the fray on 74 minutes, the game was still goalless and evenly poised.

Just six minutes later he had effectively settled the contest in favour of the former Football League club with two clinically taken goals.

Greg Mills at least got the Bucks on the scoresheet with a stunning injury-time consolation but that could not prevent a second defeat of the season.

Lincoln probably edged the contest over the 90 minutes, though Telford could still point to two glorious first half chances that went begging.

The first came on 12 minutes when Richard Davies played a through ball that saw Andy Brown closing in on goal from 40 yards out.

The striker ignored Davies's supporting run to go for glory but was unable to beat keeper Joe Anyon.

On the stroke of half-time, impressive teenage defender Dan Preston could also have broken the deadlock, heading wide off a Sean Newton free-kick.

Lincoln's best chance of the first half had fallen for full-back John Nutter, who headed over from close range off a Simon Russell corner.

The Imps, who were looking for their first win of the season – and in fact their first in 15 games in a miserable run stretching back to March – grew in stature in the second half though.

Winger Gavin McCallum, a real livewire, tested keeper Ryan Young with a well-struck free-kick and then went close with a strong header from the resulting corner.

But the game really changed when Lincoln boss Steve Tilson introduced substitutes Perry and Bradley Barraclough.

They instantly combined for the opener, Barraclough bursting down the left and drawing three defenders towards him before picking Perry out in acres of space to gleefully lash in.

The second came off an Ali Fuseini cross, Perry this time showing his aerial prowess with a textbook finish.

Telford could have crumbled at that point but deserve credit for continuing to apply themselves, and actually finished strongly.

They went close to halving the deficit two minutes from time when a terrific Richard Davies strike was well blocked on the line by Tony Sinclair.

But there was no stopping substitute Mills moments later, the winger making a strong case for a starting berth with a dazzling run on the left and a breathtaking finish that beat Anyon for pace at his near post.

That one, at least, will make good reading in the next issue of the programme.

By CHRIS HUDSON