Telford v Barwell - Match preview

But a run of 10 games unbeaten has brought the feel-good factor back to Telford, and boss Wilkin is desperate to pay the supporters back for their loyalty.

“They’ve supported the club during the difficult periods, and obviously with the relegation last season which nobody wanted, the club has been in a difficult place over the last couple of years,” he admitted. “But hopefully things are starting to move forward, there will be bumps in the road of course, but the important thing is we are moving forward.”

Wilkin added: “We want to be bringing players here that have an association and love for the club that’s shown on the field to build that bond with the supporters.”

Telford extended their unbeaten run last Sunday with a 0-0 draw at Nuneaton Borough.

Montel Gibson had a golden opportunity to win the game from the penalty spot but fired high and wide with 15 minutes to go.

And despite being frustrated at ‘two points dropped’, the Bucks’ boss was happy to see the continued improvement of his team. “I thought we were better in possession than Nuneaton, I’m not saying they didn’t have spells but largely they were the ones looking to play on the counter,” Wilkin said. “The clean sheet is a positive, getting Fraser (Kerr) back in for 90 minutes is a positive and we do feel as though things are slowly moving forward.”

He added: “The most pleasing thing we showed was our desire and humility which is what I always want from my side. We’ve been really challenged over these last five or six weeks where we’ve only really had two games, and when you’re on a reasonable run you want that to continue.”

Telford have met Saturday’s opponents Barwell before, losing 3-1 at Kirkby Road back in August.

But with a much stronger, closer- knit squad the Bucks are in a much better place as they go in search of revenge.

“It certainly sticks in the memory, for 25-30 minutes we were the dominant side, I think we hit the post and were working their goalkeeper, but they did the thing you need to do and took the lead,” Wilkin said. “We made elementary errors on that day, and we didn’t make them work hard enough for three goals, and credit to them they punished us.”

There is positive news on the injury front too, with captain Kerr reporting fit after his first full 90 minutes in more than three months.

Ricardo Dinanga, who missed the Nuneaton game with a swollen ankle, is also hoping to be back while Byron Moore is close to being considered for a spot in the squad.