Hard work pays off for AFC Telford at Luton

That is most definitely the most satisfying feeling I have ever received from a draw writes AFC Telford blogger Dan Clark.

No one expected to get a result from Luton at Kenilworth Road, especially considering that they had beaten us at the New Bucks Head quite convincingly earlier on in the season. We did take a new found confidence and belief into the Luton game from our win against Barrow. It was a vital factor to ensure we got the result.

It was brilliant to see Steve Jones starting as I felt he has offered so much in ways of experience and technical ability in previous games. I also agreed with keeping Sean Newton on the left wing, as he was been so much more effective since he has started games there, with Ryan Valentine providing the defensive experience we needed to bolster the back four.

The first half was a similar to the game against Barrow. Luton came on strongly, hitting the bar twice and playing the ball around well; showing a class side that should be fighting for promotion in May. But Telford's defensive resilience was strong and they fought at every opportunity to prevent Luton from scoring. Today's game saw many impressive tackles from all of the defence which saved the game for Telford, as well as an outstanding performance from Ryan Young, who deserves Man of the Match for making many crucial saves.

Luton broke just before half time and scored through a cool finish. But Telford came out second half and played with belief. It has been brilliant to see that Andy Sinton always instils belief in the players. Even when we had our recent run of bad form, we still tried and believed in ourselves but lacked the confidence and cutting edge to go that step further.

The goal came from a beautifully struck Sean Newton free kick, which the keeper got a hand to, but could not do anything about. We did deserve the goal, as we had had spells of good passing and fast tempo that the Luton players seemed unable to deal with. I believe that if we carry on like this against lesser teams, it will be a good season for us.

The lads held out for the draw, with the back four again making vital tackles to keep Luton at bay. When the full time whistle blew, everyone associated with Telford had a sense of glee. The fact that we got a result at Luton feels like a win. It is another point in the league which will help us steer away from the relegation zone.

We just now need to consolidate and build to get a good result against Bath. They played well at the New Bucks Head earlier this season and have got some decent results recently. But with confidence starting to flow, and our hard work starting to pay off, I am sure that we will get what we need.