Shropshire Star

Gavin Cowan: Telford kept 'flipping the switch!'

Relieved boss Gavin Cowan insists AFC Telford United 'kept flipping the switch' as they eventually ran out 4-3 victors at Ashton United.

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The Bucks moved up to fourth in National League North with the victory over the struggling Robins, but it was far from plain sailing.

Amari Morgan-Smith and Daniel Udoh were both at the double, with the latter sealing the win late on at Hurst Cross.

"Topsy-turvy probably sums it up. For large parts, we were in complete control of the game," said Cowan.

"The analogy I used with the lads was that we kept flipping the switch though.

"At 3-1 up, I kept shouting at the players: 'Be ruthless.'

"I wanted them to go on and send out a message to the rest of the league.

"But we got a little bit complacent, and it bit us on the backside.

"We flipped the switch. When we wanted to turn it on, we did.

"But when we thought we were comfortable, we got a bit complacent. That probably sums it up."

Morgan-Smith and Udoh took their goals very well, with Udoh's being his 20th and 21st of the campaign.

Morgan-Smith was denied a hat-trick by a sublime George McMahon save towards the end too.

But Cowan was keen to focus on the effort of the whole team.

"I'm fortunate enough to see all the time the work Marcus Dinanga does in training, and Andre Brown," he said.

"The strikers are the fortunate ones, they get the money and the glory, but our build-up play is really good.

"The work we do to get there is the right way.

"The strikers will take the plaudits and so they should as putting the ball into the back of the net is the hardest thing, but there is more to it than that.

"There are certain patterns that we play, and the strikers reap the benefits of that."

Henry Cowans was forced off just four minutes into the game, and Telford chief Cowan confirmed it was a knee injury he sustained in the 50/50 challenge with Sam Sheridan.

Shrewsbury loanee Ryan Barnett came on in his place and performed well.

"He had a very good game and he needed it because for the previous three he wasn't at his best," added Cowan.

"He was back at it, and 70 per cent of the time we were at it, but 30 per cent we were complacent.

"We've got to be doing these things right until the end. We want to be reliable week in, week out."