Nuneaton 0 Telford 0 - Report and pictures

In a quiet afternoon, the Bucks were unable to earn a sixth consecutive win but a point against the play-off chasers takes Rob Smith's side another step closer to safety.

The encounter was largely scrappy and often ruined by the official's whistle, but after being thumped by Nuneaton 5-1 at the New Bucks Head earlier in the season - a resilient Telford turned up.

Without the thrill and buzz of recent weeks, it is a marker of Telford's improvement that they left the A1 Gas Force Arena disappointed with just a point.

Despite the game's first shot on target coming from the returning Bucks frontman Josh Wilson, the hosts began brightly and knocked the ball around leaving Telford chasing.

Under the barking instructions of boss Rob Smith, Telford went about disrupting Nuneaton's neat style but were unable to stop the play-off chasing outfit from forging a couple of decent early openings.

Skipper Shane Byrne, who had began brightly, curled a fine 30-yard free-kick towards James Montgomery's top corner but the Bucks number one clawed it from under his crossbar.

Nuneaton Town: (4-4-2): Smith, Clifton, Keane, Maguire, Rowe-Turner, Keane (Duffy, 74) Elliott, Byrne ©, Sanogo (Harewood, 79), Whitehouse, Ironside.

Unused subs: De La Paz, Scott, Warburton.

AFC Telford United (4-3-3): Montgomery, Samuels, Campion, Tilt. Grogan, Rea © (Clancy, 90), Wynter, Dawson, Hibbert (Cofie, 80), McCarthy (Reid. 66), Wilson.

Unused subs: Hutchison, Brownhill.

Referee: Elizabeth Simms

Elliott Whitehouse saw his header from the resulting corner loop into Montgomery's grasp.

Byrne linked up with the lively home frontman Vamara Sanogo who flicked towards Tom Elliott but the latter's effort flew high and wide.

Dwayne Samuels got his side out of trouble after superbly recovering to halt Whitehouse, who looked to be bearing down on Montgomery for a split second.

A rare foray into the Nuneaton half saw Wilson's cute chipped effort from a Lucas Dawson effort sail into the comfortable arms of of Jordan Smith in the hosts' goal.

First-half yellow cards to Darren Campion and Connor McCarthy summed the opening period up.

There was many cautions as realistic goalmouth action, referee Elizabeth Simms found herself pulling play up all too often.

Nuneaton forced Montgomery into a smart early second-half stop as Sanogo broke from Mike Grogan and was denied at the keeper's near post.

From the resulting corner, Lathaniel Rowe-Turner neat nutmeg and cross was somehow cleared by a number of last-ditch Telford blocks.

McCarthy twisted and turned after receiving from Samuels but was eventually thwarted by shot-stopper Smith before the keeper kept out a deflected Wilson strike from 25 yards.

Nuneaton came closest yet after the hour, right-back James Clifton was found by Jordan Keane before cutting inside and drilling a left-footed effort narrowly wide of Montgomery's far post.

Midway through the second-half and Telford were unfortunate not to be ahead.

Dawson's drilled corner was met by Jordan Wynter whose stooped header was goalbound until hitting Clifton on the post and bouncing into Smith's arms.

A deflected 20-yard strike from Wynter earned Telford a second consecutive corner and after it was cleared, Samuels' centre found a stretching Tilt whose header was kept out.

Interplay between Wilson and Jack Rea the teed up Dave Hibbert but the Bucks frontman could only volley at fresh air.

Smith's Bucks are fortunate to remain goalless with 10 minutes to play as they get carved open by the hosts.

Clifton plays inside to sub Rob Duffy who slips Whitehouse in with a nice through ball. The lively Whitehouse drags his finish across goal and wide.

With three minutes to play Bucks sub Izak Reid came mightily close to a winner, the ball found its way across the box to Reid on the right-side and the winger arrowed a vicious finish inches wide of goal.

Whitehouse almost won it in the second of three minutes added on, but his 20-yard strike flashed over Montgomery's bar.