Analysis: AFC Telford United produce 'display of dominance' in six-goal FA Cup showing
The Bucks didn’t simply tap on the door and hope to be invited into the Emirates FA Cup first round - writes Richard Worton.
They smashed the door to the first round off its hinges, and strode through with a display of dominance that left Darlington disoriented, despondent and defeated in this fourth round qualifying tie.
One of the demands Kevin Wilkin has made of his team in recent weeks is to recognise when their opponents are vulnerable and apply the coup de grâce.
This performance provided strong evidence that the message is sinking in. The Bucks built on the boost of an early Dylan Allen-Hadley goal to leave the Quakers quaking with a spell of three goals in six minutes either side of the half-hour mark.
Matty Stenson struck twice, and Quakers defender Toby Lees turned a cross into his own net as the Bucks flooded towards goal at every opportunity, asking questions to which the hosts knew very few of the answers.
It seems churlish to suggest it, given that they led 4-0 at the break, but had their finishing been more clinical, it genuinely could have been six or seven, and there’d have been few complaints.
Wilkin made two changes to the starting eleven that had been defeated at home by AFC Fylde a week earlier. With keeper Josh Gracey away on international duty with the Northern Ireland Under-19s, the Bucks had to draft in Jamie Pardington from Lincoln City, and he made an immediate debut.
Adan George dropped to the substitutes’ bench, with Stenson restored to the forward line. On a bright and mild afternoon in County Durham, the Bucks hit the ground running, determined not to repeat their ponderous first-half showing in a 2-2 draw at the same venue on August Bank Holiday Monday.
On that day, they had to dig deep and recover a 2-0 deficit, but the only digging they did on this visit was to prepare a plot in which to bury the hosts' FA Cup aspirations.
An early corner kick and subsequent long throw brought an off-target header from Stenson with barely two minutes played.
The Quakers matched that with a sliced shot from midfielder Will Hatfield, moving onto the ball and letting it run onto his right foot from 25 yards.The opening goal arrived after eight minutes, the result of the hosts’ ill-advised desire to play out from their penalty area and the Bucks’ hunger to press and force turnovers.
Keeper Pete Jameson tapped a free-kick given for offside to Elliott Forbes, but his path forward was blocked. Forbes played his captain, Tom Platt, into trouble, and midfield duo Remi Walker and Alex Fletcher seized possession to play Stenson through.
Jameson made a terrific low save to his right to deny him and reprieve his colleagues, but it was a temporary respite. From Walker’s left-wing corner, Jameson made the ball his, but then inexplicably dropped it, and Dylan Allen-Hadley’s reactions were fastest.
The winger lashed the loose ball into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box, and the Bucks had the perfect platform.
Plenty of time remained for the hosts, but Wilkin’s side were keen to deny them the chance to regain a foothold. The Bucks managed the ball well and were always alert to opportunities to attack.
Ammar Dyer’s overlapping from right back twice got him into shooting positions, neither of which he could make the most of, but it was the midfield where the Bucks were dominating.
