Forest Green Rovers 2 AFC Telford Utd 1 - report

Late goals have certainly proved painful – and very costly – for AFC Telford United in the last month.

If only matches finished after 80 minutes rather than 90 then they would have won at Fleetwood and at home to Hayes & Yeading, as well as drawing at Barrow.

Now we can add Forest Green Rovers to that sorry collection, and Shane Killock's injury-time own goal that sent them to a last gasp defeat was arguably the cruellest of the lot.

On a night when winter announced its icy cold arrival, Telford boss Andy Sinton could hardly have been warmed by news that leading scorer Chris Sharp had joined the injury list.

His absence was a significant pre-match blow, though it did give Adam Proudlock the chance to stake his claim to a place in the side.

The fayre on offer for much of the evening was hardly of the sparkling variety to warm supporters of either side.

James Norwood was the main threat for Forest Green, his rampaging runs down the left a regular source of trouble.

It was from one such foray that the home side took the lead, Norwood's cross drawing an air shot from Adam Sandell but the defence reacting slowly, allowing Charlie Griffin to drill in his fifth goal of the season – and Forest Green's first in 330 minutes of football.

Lucky

Ali Bangura was also a handful in midfield for the hosts, though he could count himself lucky not to see a red card before the interval.

Having been booked for one early tackle from behind on Courtney Pitt, he later lunged in with both feet raised on the same player – but somehow escaped with a final warning from Susssex-based referee Tim Robinson.

His own manager Dave Hockaday clearly knew that was a lucky escape and chose not to give the official the chance to make amends, taking the Sierra Leone player off at half-time.

Telford were very much in the contest at that stage though, and might even have been level if Proudlock had done better when played through by Jon Adams – opting to try to round the keeper and finding himself steered down a cul-de-sac.

The Bucks also started the second period brightly – Craig Farrell heading over the bar off a Ryan Valentine cross after shots from Proudlock and Adams had been charged down.

But the game was in danger of petering out after that, with little notable goalmouth action at either end until Telford suddenly drew level out of the blue with just 13 minutes to go.

The goal came when substitute Greg Mills whipped in a cross from the left. Proudlock looked poorly positioned to capitalise, but his cute backward header was flicked over keeper James Bittner and went in off the underside of the bar.

That was Proudlock's first goal from open play in a competitive match since December last year and might have sparked a late push for victory from the Shropshire side.

But Forest Green weathered the mini-storm and got on top themselves as the game moved into injury-time.

They got their reward when they won a late corner, James Rowe's menacing delivery deflecting in off Killock's hip.

Keeper Young angrily claimed he had been impeded but all appeals were brushed away as Telford faced up to consecutive defeats for the first time this season.

By CHRIS?HUDSON at The New Lawn