Mickleover v Telford preview: Kevin Wilkin wants his Bucks to embrace match pressure

The Bucks extended their unbeaten streak to 13 games on New Year’s Day against Bromsgrove Sporting but face their sternest test to date with a trip to the league leaders.

Despite the challenge ahead, manager Wilkin admitted he relishes these top of the table clashes and wants his team to do the same.

“Our lads have that little bit of pressure to keep doing well in games, and the better they do the more importance lies on the next game which is what we want,” he said.

“I’ve been lucky enough in most seasons that I’ve managed to have something to play for and I want the big games, I love the big games and I think players do too.”

The Bucks boss added: “We want games for people to get excited about and as a group of players and staff that’s what we should be fighting for.

“It puts you under a test but that’s why we play the game.”

Telford’s draw with Bromsgrove Sporting kept them in fifth place in the Southern Central Premier, although they would have closed the gap on Mickleover to two points with a win.

Instead this weekend’s game offers the Bucks the chance to move within a point of the one-time runaway leaders of the league, who have won just twice in their last nine games.

Mickleover went top on goal difference with a 5-1 win over Long Eaton United on New Year’s Day. John McGrath, a former Villa youngster and Shrewsbury loanee, has been in charge since 2016. He possesses former Wolves and Salop frontman Leon Clarke, 39 next month, in his ranks.

“We have had them watched,” Wilkin said. “One of their better players sustained a nasty injury which is something we’ve experienced with losing Nathan and Fraser earlier this season, and Byron only recently.”

He continued: “We’re a little more rounded now than we were when we last met, they’re still a very good side and we’ll have to be right on our game to overcome them.

“It’s nice for us to have the opportunity to shoot at their unbeaten home form, but we just want to do it with our best players out there.”

Having let Tre Mitford and George Forsyth leave the club recently, as well as losing Twariq Yusuf to the African Cup of Nations with Tanzania, it does not take much for the Telford squad to be stretched.

And Kevin Wilkin admitted that point has already been reached, with the influential Sam Whittall pushing for a return to training following a troublesome ankle problem that has kept him out since before Christmas.

Versatile defender Whittall was assessed again last night, while there is more optimism over winger Ricardo Dinanga and Jared Hodgkiss. Jordan Piggott and Montel Gibson are also nursing aches.