AFC Telford in promotion push after Vauxhall Motors win - analysis and pictures

AFC Telford found just enough drive to see off Vauxhall Motors last night as they continued their march up the Skrill North table.

The Bucks may not have hit top gear, but none of the home fans at the New Bucks Head will have cared after seeing their team comfortably record their second win in four days.

When striker Adam Farrell breached the Motormen's defence after just seven minutes, it looked as though the Bucks might well better Saturday's dominant 3-1 home win over Stalybridge Celtic.

They had plenty of chances to add to that tally and had to survive a couple of second-half scares as the game became stretched later on.

But in the end the Bucks were good value for their win and can today reflect on a job well done that keeps them firmly in the mix at the right end of the table.

The home side certainly made the stronger start and midfielder Charlie Barnett created the first shooting chance after five minutes when he pounced on a misplaced pass.

Striker Tony Gray, who would be a regular thorn in Vauxhall's side, raced onto his clever delivery but his rasping 25-yard shoot flew wide.

But Farrell made no mistake two minutes later when he galloped onto Robbie Booth's perfectly-weighted through ball.

Motormen keeper Zac Jones raced out to close down the angle, but Farrell kept his composure to slot clinically underneath him.

The Bucks were certainly winning the midfield battle early on and a corner kick had Jones punching unconvincingly under pressure.

Vauxhall's passing in the middle of the park continued to let them down in the opening quarter of an hour and Sean Clancy was the next to take advantage, drilling a low drive which was deflected behind for a corner.

It was, perhaps, a measure of Telford's burgeoning confidence that full-back Wes Baynes then tried his luck from fully 30-yards out, although his powerful effort failed to trouble Jones as it flew wide.

Farrell went much closer with a rasping volley from 20-yards out as the Bucks continued to dominate proceedings.

But Ryan Young had to be alert and agile to deny Lloyd Ellams just before the half-hour after he found space on the edge of the box to curl an effort towards the top corner.

Defender Neill Byrne looked to have doubled the Bucks' lead from a majestic Barnett cross midway through the half, but his bullet header was ruled out for offside.

But Telford kept the pressure up and Gray twice stung the hands of Jones entering the last 10 minutes of the half with Clancy also testing the keeper's reflexes.

The Bucks endured a scare in the final minute of the half after Motormen wideman Andy Nicholas was bundled over on the edge of the box.

Fortunately the referee ruled the infringement had taken place outside the area and Telford survived the free-kick.

The chances kept coming after the interval and Clancy will feel he should have hit the target after he gathered the rebound from his own cross only to drill just over the bar from 18 yards.

Booth saw an effort deflected into the side netting soon afterwards and the visitors survived a goalmouth scramble with 55 minutes played.

Gray drew yet another strong save from Jones with a well-aimed header from Booth's arching cross.

Both sides made changes with the game entering its final quarter and winger Sean Cooke almost introduced himself in the best possible fashion, creating a shooting chance on the edge of the box for Gray which was again well saved.

The Bucks almost lived to regret those missed opportunities when Vauxhall's Tom Hannigan took advantage of some hesitation to loop a header just wide.

The game became stretched in the last 15 minutes as both sides pushed for a goal. But even then Telford looked the more likely scorers, with Cooke and fellow second-half substitute Mike Phenix both going close late on.