Lincoln City 1 AFC Telford 1 - Match report

Barbecues, V Festival and the cricket season. All three were in full swing last time AFC Telford United got three points on the road.

And while that miserable away record goes on, at Sincil Bank on Saturday afternoon the signs of recovery were there for all to see.

Let's not get carried away, the Bucks are hardly travelling like Gulliver, but the resilience and determination they showed to fight for the point they had was testament to their new-found belief and backbone away from Shropshire.

• See pictures from AFC Telford's draw with Lincoln

In the end Andy Sinton will view this as a point gained rather than two lost because, if truth be told, Lincoln will be wondering how they didn't win this one.

Bucks keeper Ryan Young made a string of superb saves in both halves to deny the Imps three points and preserve Telford's parity.

It had been Telford's advantage when Kyle Perry somewhat inevitably lashed them ahead midway through the first period against his parent club.

His finish was clinical, chesting down Ryan Valentine's delicious cross and comprehensively firing past Joe Anyon from eight yards as the home defence appealed in vain for offside.

The goal came during Telford's best spell of the contest when they created the clearer chances.

The Bucks looked a threat from set pieces and almost took the lead shortly before they did when a Jon Brown cross from the right hand side bounced off the inside of the post and back into the grateful Anyon's arms.

Prior to thay Jay Smith had a couple of 25 yard sighters, the best of which brought a fingertip save out of Anyon.

But Lincoln always carried an attacking threat and could have been in front themselves were not for the fine form of Young in the visitors' goal.

He saved smartly from the lively Richard Pacquette early on and somehow denied the same player again late in the half.

In between the home side did draw level, albeit in slightly fortuitous circumstances.

Smith, who committed too many needless fouls all afternoon, felled Alan Power on the edge of the box and John Nutter's driven free kick took a hefty deflection off the unfortunate Chris Blackburn and nestled in the net.

After the break the Bucks were second best for much of the contest as Lincoln, inspired by Power in the middle and the rampaging Jefferson Louis up front, sensed all three points.

That they didn't get them is down in large parts to Young.

He somehow denied Peter Bore when the wideman was sent through by a tempting Louis through ball and saved from the same player late on.

The Bucks did occasionally threaten with set pieces looking their most likely hope.

From one Smith corner Steve Jones saw his effort blocked by Robson before Perry's driven shot from the rebound was well held by Anyon.

That was about as good as it got for the Bucks who were left holding on for the draw in a desperate finale which saw dogged defending to the last.

Skipper Shane Killock survived a handball appeal when struck on the arm 10 yards out and Rob Williams almost matched Perry's feat of scoring against his parent club when he hooked a late effort inches past the far post.

But in the end the Bucks inched another point further away from relegation and will hope it is a stepping stone to finding that elusive away day success.

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