AFC Telford 4 Colwyn Bay 1 - a four-star show

After last weekend's 3-1 Skrill Conference North defeat at Bradford Park Avenue, Telford boss Liam Watson has been telling his players all week that a clean sheet on Saturday was the first priority.

Those orders went out of the window on six minutes when another disappointing strike to concede went against them, leaving Watson wondering when a shut-out will come.

But the pleasing thing for the Bucks manager is that there are goals in the team at the other end, as proved by the amount of chances they created and the four they ultimately scored.

True, they cannot keep on gifting teams goals, with everybody at sixes and sevens when Jamie Crowther broke the deadlock.

But also correct is that, if they can tighten up at the back, Telford will be able to sweep aside certain teams in the division, given the firepower that they have available to them.

What they don't want is the New Bucks Head to suddenly fall quiet like when Crowther nipped in to hand Colwyn Bay a surprise lead.

Most of the defence, with goalkeeper Ryan Young dashing out to intervene, seemed static as Crowther lent all over Chris Lever in an attempt to get to the ball.

Lever may have even turned the ball into the net as players jostled for position from Tom Smyth's long throw, but Crowther was right behind him as the ball was poked in.

Back came the home side as Andy Owens, recalled to the starting line-up, drew a strong parry from goalkeeper Chris Sanna, after getting a firm header to Sean Clancy's corner.

Their lead lasted just three minutes – there were nine on the clock when the hosts pulled level as Robbie Booth – making his first competitive start for the club, took little time to warrant his inclusion.

Booth picked up the ball on the left and cut inside to fire low under the dive of Sanna just inside the box, as parity was restored with the minutes still in single figures.

Then Booth nearly turned provider four minutes later with an inviting cross that Adam Farrell met with a header, that dropped just wide of the post.

With 20 minutes gone, Telford were on top for the first time as Clancy's corner was met with a stooping header from Grand, which put the Bucks in the box seat at half-time.

New signing and debutant Mike Grogan had nearly added to that tally four minutes after the goal, but his goal-bound effort was hacked off the line by former Shrewsbury Town defender Dan Taylor.

Grogan again came close after the break when Charlie Barnett's inviting cross was helped on by Grand into his path but he headed it wide, the ball skimming the post on the way out of play.

The game exploded into life again in the last 10 minutes as the visitors first went close to an equaliser, as substitute Ed Moss' corner evaded everyone and clattered off the post to safety.

That miss was punished with a minute to go as Matthew McGinn took his chance well, checking inside Taylor to place his shot past the outstretched hands of Sanna.

The cherry on the cake came three minutes into stoppage time, as Mike Phenix got inside Sanna and Colwyn Bay player-manager Frank Sinclair to lift the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.

Two late goals, as Watson put it, added gloss to an emphatic result that did show what Telford can do, but also illustrated what is good and not so good about the Bucks.

Defensively, they were more careless than suspect, illustrated by the way they conceded so early on, giving themselves a headache before they really had a chance to settle.

In attack, they created enough chances to have taken Colwyn Bay completely to the cleaners but wasted them in equal measure, finding their killer touch towards the end.

It's fine tuning that will make this Telford team great, working on the basics doesn't appear to be working as yet, but to win in this fashion while not completely 'at it' bodes well.

As it stands, Watson is trying to find that winning formula as players come in and out but a number of introductions on Saturday worked out well in the end.

Lever was brought in at left-back and showed, some confusion for the goal aside, why his manager believes the team defend better when he is in it.

Booth put in a Man of the Match display and repaid the faith Watson displayed by starting him and ditching the 5-3-2 in favour of an out-and-out winger on the right.

Grogan came into the starting line-up and acted as the midfield enforcer that was asked of him, going close to a debut goal in the process.

McGinn took being dropped for Lever from the starting line-up in his stride by coming and sealing the win with the third goal. One just wonders if he's better going forward than being at the back.

Phenix is also battling to reclaim a place and did his chances no harm with the fourth goal, showing there's goals to be spread all around this Bucks squad.

They score but they also concede – that's AFC Telford United as we stand today. If they eradicate the latter, they could soon become the hottest ticket in town.

By Craig Birch