Neill Byrne building on revival at AFC Telford

Byrne left Nethermoor Park last Tuesday night as a maligned figure that came off firmly second best in a 6-1 new club-record defeat against Guiseley.

But manager Liam Watson kept his faith in the 20-year-old for Saturday's game against Altrincham at the New Bucks Head and was repaid in spades.

Not only did the former Republic of Ireland under-19 international perform imperiously at the back, he popped up with his second goal of the season, too.

Byrne's header from Matthew McGinn's free-kick provided the second goal of a 3-1 win that returned Telford to the top of the Skrill Conference North.

Victory in all of their remaining five games will guarantee the Bucks their first league title and that quest continues with a re-arranged trip to Marsh Lane.

Byrne will line up alongside Dan Preston and captain Simon Grand if Watson again deploys three centre-backs, which worked with great effect at the weekend.

Byrne said: "I think the three of us have formed a good partnership and I felt that 'Prezzo' coming back in on Saturday sort of shored things up a bit.

"We talked to each other and, as a team, defended well. Not just the goalkeeper and the back four but everyone because, most times, you defend from the top.

"You have to get used to whatever formation the manager wants to play, when I went to play under him at Southport we also had the three centre-backs.

"I thought Saturday went well and we needed to bounce back, which we did. Even in the warm up, all of the lads were looking sharp and seemed up for it.

"The Tuesday night game was one of the most disappointing things to have happened since I have been at Telford, we all talked about it as a team after.

"It was a real shock to all of us, in every game this season we have gone out to win and we never expected to lose 6-1. As a defender, you want to keep a clean sheet.

"Personally, my confidence was very low and a lot of faith has been shown in me since I came here and think I repaid some of that in the Altrincham game.

"The gaffer spoke to us again at training on Thursday and said that things like that happen in a run in, but it all depended on what we do on Saturday.

"We came out and started on the front foot, kicked on from there and didn't give them a chance to really get into the game. We played very well.

"It was good to get the second goal, Matthew McGinn put a great ball in and I leapt like a salmon to head it in! I have only got two this season and I should have more.

"I went straight over to Chris Roberts, our physio, to celebrate as we always have a bit of banter about me closing my eyes when I head the ball, I didn't there!

"I want to get more and more now, everyone in the team chips in with goals and that's what we should be doing."

Byrne and Co are taking it once task at a time as they look to secure the club an instant return to the Conference Premier without the lottery of the play-offs.

He said: "It's back in our hands now, we are taking each game as it comes."