Shropshire Star

AFC Telford's Jas Singh looking to keep things tight

Jas Singh got his first of six league clean sheets this season against York City on the opening day.

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It was a resolute display at Bootham Crescent – absorbing a fair amount of pressure and scoring on the counter-attack for a 1-0 win.

The approach of Rob Edwards’ side has changed since then though.

They are creating a lot more going forward but have not always been convincing at the back.

Entertaining and unpredictable, the Bucks are a fascinating side but Singh, as a keeper, would like them to be a bit more pragmatic.

“If you ask anyone, our weak point has been conceding goals,” he said.

“Obviously that’s something we are working on, looking to tighten up at the back.

“The suspensions and injuries we’ve had haven’t helped with that – Jon Royle and Ross White having three-match bans recently – but hopefully we’ll be more settled now.

“I saw an interview the manager did recently where he said he’d rather win 4-2 than 1-0, to entertain the fans.

“As a keeper though, I’d happily take a 1-0.”

With the reverse fixture against York taking place tomorrow, Singh would love nothing more than to add another clean sheet to his tally.

A constant figure in the Telford team this season, he had some fans question whether he should be dropped recently – and Sheridan Martinez came in – after a few tricky games.

“At the back end of October we were letting in a lot of goals,” said Singh.

“In that situation, naturally, you look towards your goalkeeper.

“I have been doing this for a lot years and I’ve had spells in seasons where my form has dipped a bit.

“You just have to keep going and stick to your strengths.”

Having also played for the likes of Kidderminster Harriers, Solihull Moors and Gloucester City, Singh is well-versed in the rigours of National League North.

The Bucks are aiming to push for the play-offs, but – as the old cliché goes – he is just taking it one game at a time.

“We want to set ourselves a target but you have to be careful in this league not to look too far ahead – five games can change the course of your season,” said Singh.

“These next five games are massive – to determine how far we have come, and how far we can go.

“It’s the old cliché, taking it a game at a time and not getting carried away. We want to be beating teams like York, Kidderminster and Brackley Town.

“If we can do that, the league position should take care of itself.”

Since the game at Bootham Crescent, York have sacked Gary Mills and replaced him with former Darlington boss Martin Gray.

On the Minstermen, Singh added: “York have changed their manager and there’s some new players, but there’s some players there from when we played them on the opening day – the likes of Jon Parkin.

“I’ve played against his teams a few times and when you have a weapon like Jon, why not use him?

“They are trying to play to his strengths and it’s nothing to us.

“Most teams that we play have a big, physical striker that they try to use, so we are prepared for it.”