Steve Kittrick: It's not over for AFC Telford
AFC Telford United manager Steve Kittrick insisted "it's not over" in his team's battle against relegation after they suffered a 1-0 defeat at Grimsby Town.
Nathan Arnold's second-half strike was enough to earn the Mariners all three points, while the Bucks were unable to find the necessary cutting edge to respond.
The defeat keeps Telford 10 points adrift of safety with just 12 games to go but Kittrick, whose side host struggling Alfreton on Saturday, said: "It's not over until it is over.
"If it comes down to the last four games in April and we have to win them to get out of it (so be it).
"We have got to finish one more point higher than the team that finishes fourth bottom and we have got a big game in Saturday against Alfreton, where we'll be aiming for three points."
Kittrick was pleased with his team's overall display but admitted a moment of inattention cost them last night, as Arnold scored three minutes into the second half.
He said: "For 20 minutes we did alright and then in the last 25 minutes, it was all them and we defended really well. But we switched off for the first couple of minutes in the second half.
"I always say the first and last 10 minutes (of each half) wins or loses you games."
Kittrick surprisingly left midfielder Godfrey Poku on the bench in place of returning Jack Rea, having felt the former's form has just dipped in recent games.
He came on as a second-half substitute as did Bolton Wanderers loanee Glenn Matthews, who Kittrick is hopeful of keeping for longer than the initial month for which he signed in January.
He said: "I think he wants to stay and if he does and Bolton want him to stay, then he will."
Six hardy AFC Telford souls showed their dedication by following the team's journey to Grimsby.
The loyal six made the 300-mile round trip nto cheer on the Bucks on a cold midweek night away to the promotion-chasing Mariners.
The overall match attendance was 3,047. Kittrick hailed their efforts as "admirable."
