AFC Telford reclaim top spot in Skrill North - match analysis and pictures

The Bucks had turned in such a poor show just seven days previously that you could be forgiven for forgetting that it had actually yielded three points.

The manner of that victory at the New Bucks Head left Liam Watson's side with a point to prove in their first-ever game against Oxford City, once again at home.

The first half was easily the best 45 minutes Watson's players have produced this season. The Bucks tore into City almost from the off. At times, it looked like they could score when they wanted.

True, there were no further goals in the second half, after the four that came before the break, but Telford never looked troubled.

And the riches on offer were clear by the final whistle, as word filtered back to Shropshire that the league leaders, North Ferriby United, had lost at Guiseley.

So all folk that milled out of the ground on Saturday did so in the knowledge that their club was back on the top of the Skrill Conference North, and on course for a return to the Conference Premier.

Watson talked about "holding your nerve" with nine games left of the season to go and will do so again on the 'crazy eight'.

Who wins the league may come down to who has the best poker face.

Everything just seemed to drop for his men against City, as they raced back to the summit with the hard work done by half-time.

Two goals from Luton Town loanee Shaun Whalley made of all the difference as he proved a menace to the away side, as strikers Adam Farrell and Andy Owens also weighed in with strikes.

The Bucks soon made a statement of their intent and were swarming forward as early as the second minute, City goalkeeper Matthew Bulman having to punch away Matthew McGinn's free-kick.

McGinn was forced into action to put the ball behind at the other end in the fifth minute, when Darren Pond broke and looked for support before sweeping a great ball across the six-yard box.

It didn't prove an omen, as the travelling party pressed the self-destruct button.Defender Mark Preece was found dithering on the ball for far too long in the 11th minute.

That allowed McGinn to rob the City defender and the tap the ball across to Whalley on the left, and he took the ball on and steered his finish away from the dive of Bulman to break the deadlock.

In the 18th minute, Telford took command through Owens' sixth goal of the season – which finally saw the unveiling of his goal celebration, 'the camel.'

He took issue to being labelled that by a fan on Twitter, and has been dying to do the celebration ever since. It could well catch on, as it's clear that if you feed the camel, he will score.

He was stuffing the ball up the back of his shirt after a close-range finish under the floored Bulman, after strike partner Farrell broke on the right to spray a low ball across the box.

That was the big striker's third goal in three games, his fifth of the season.

You could sense there was another goal coming before the break and it was difficult to foresee how that would go City's way, considering how second best they had been in the first period.

It could have come in the 38th minute, when McGinn got in behind Pond at the other end to square for Owens, who was an inch short from claiming his second double of the season.

But it did arrive five minutes before the break when another McGinn assist found Whalley on the other wing, and he took on Paul Stonehouse before beating Bulman in almost the same spot.

Just when City thought it couldn't get any worse, Bulman was forced out to impede Whalley, who was trying to round him, and ended up chopping down the Bucks winger inside the penalty box.

The City shot-stopper escaped with a booking but the penalty stood, leaving Farrell with the chance to return to the top of the club's scoring charts.

Joint top goal-getter Mike Grogan looked on as Farrell stepped up to send Bulman the wrong way from the spot, slotting the ball home to the custodian's left for his 13th goal of the season.

It was difficult to see how the home side could top that in the second half which, as you got the sense it would, turned out to be a bit of a non-event.

Telford did go close in the 66th minute through Grogan, who would have returned to being the Bucks' joint top-scorer had Bulman not denied his hammer of a low effort.

Chances were scarce as the game edged nearer towards a close but substitute Tony Gray went close with an effort that squirmed past the post in the 87th minute.

Bucks goalkeeper Ryan Young preserved the clean sheet with a minute to go, saving City substitute Kayden Jackson's effort with his legs.

The final whistle duly sounded and there was none of the despondency that met full-time the previous week. More of the same will surely lead Telford to league title glory.

By Craig Birch