AFC Telford 1 Hayes and Yeading 1 - match report

The pain of conceding a late equaliser only served to offer further proof that this AFC Telford United side is still a work in progress.

Andy Sinton's men sit comfortably in the middle of the Blue Square Bet Premier on what is shaping up to be a decent fist of consolidation.

But it's hard not to look at the league table and think of what might have been, had Telford only been able to hold onto winning positions more regularly.

Hayes & Yeading now join a list of unwelcome sides that also includes Stockport County and Fleetwood Town – teams who have all come from behind against the Bucks to take a point.

Had the Shropshire side managed to see the job through on those occasions then they would now be six points better off and on the fringe of the play-offs alongside non-League giants Luton Town and York City.

In truth though, victory on Saturday would have been more than they really deserved after what was a rather flat performance.

Sinton's side looked on paper a good one – Adam Proudlock coming in for the injured Andy Brown while Conal Platt, an emergency loan signing from Cambridge United, made his debut on the left of midfield.

But it was the visitors who were the more threatening in the first period, with the lively Louie Soares – a man that actually trained with the Bucks in pre-season – pulling the strings.

Telford simply couldn't contain Soares, who started on the left but had licence to cut in and wreak havoc through the middle as well.

He always appeared the most likely outlet for a goal, though it was left-back Dan Spence who came closest – cutting in and unleashing a right-footed drive from 25 yards that left keeper Ryan Young beaten but crashed back off the post.

Telford had not even registered a shot on goal until they took the lead seven minutes before the break, Proudlock turning a hopeful long ball into something special with a deft lay-off for Richard Davies to thump in an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box.

Proudlock showed his footballing intelligence again just moments later as he produced another cute pass to free Platt in the left channel, but the loanee could only fire his shot straight at keeper Delroy Preddie.

The second half was a brighter spectacle, the hosts now enjoying more possession but struggling to turn that into clear goalscoring opportunities.

A Sean Newton free-kick whistled only inches wide, while Jon Adams forced Preddie into what was his most athletic save of the day with a powerful strike from a narrow angle on the right.

Proudlock also made the keeper work with a glancing header off a corner by substitute Greg Mills as Telford searched in vain for a second goal.

And their failure to find that was to be punished by Hayes & Yeading, who found a second wind in the closing 10 minutes.

Soares was again the architect – first forcing Young into action with a diving save and then being denied by a brave block from Newton to win a corner.

And it was from that set-piece that the equaliser came as the Bucks failed to clear their lines effectively.

Soares, waiting on the edge of the box, smacked a fierce low shot that Young did brilliantly to keep out – but this time he could only parry the ball away and Richard Pacquette followed up to fire into the empty net.

It was another harsh lesson for Telford and one they must learn quickly.

Match analysis by CHRIS HUDSON