AFC Telford United preview: Bucks must bounce back from Leamington blip to keep play-off hopes alive
Kevin Wilkin has admitted his Telford side cannot make the same mistakes as they did in their shock defeat to Leamington if they hope to overcome Alfreton Town tomorrow.
The Bucks were turned over 2-1 by the National League North's bottom side on Tuesday evening, a result that saw them drop out of the play-off places and miss the opportunity to move into fifth place in the division.
Wilkin bemoaned his side's lack of urgency and intent after taking an early lead at the SEAH Stadium in midweek, something he believes allowed the visitors a way back into the game that they should not have had.
And with Alfreton, another side staring down the barrel at relegation this season, coming to town tomorrow the Bucks boss insisted his side have to raise their levels back to those that were on show in the 2-0 home win against Radcliffe last Saturday.
"One thing that has been abundantly clear since I joined the club is that we're expected to win our home games," Wilkin said. "Regardless of who we're against we get that and we understand that, and there can be no excuses for the performance on Tuesday.
"My biggest fear after the Radcliffe game was that one or two players would think that because they did so well on Saturday they'd won the Tuesday game as well, and unfortunately that proved not to be the case.
"We started well enough and got ourselves into a tremendous position, but I just don't think we played aggressively enough thereafter. I've watched the footage back and we turned the ball over eight times in eight minutes in various positions and situations before Leamington's equaliser, and you can't be guilty of that at this level.
"We've got to be ruthless and it doesn't matter if we're playing top or bottom of the division, you can't just rock up and go through the motions like one or two did on Tuesday."
When asked if the chance to right the wrongs of Tuesday against another side towards the bottom end of the division was favourable, the Bucks boss insisted he would be expecting a reaction regardless of the opponent.
"Unfortunately we don't get to choose who we play, and it's a measure of being able to stay up to your work regardless of the opposition or the situation," Wilkin said. "Whoever you play you've got to apply yourself in the same way and we didn't on Tuesday, but there's no reason why we can't this weekend.
"We've got some extremely talented boys that can apply themselves if they focus in the right way, they just have to take their medicine when we review Tuesday's game and use it as fuel to drive themselves forward and not make the same mistakes again."
Telford will welcome captain Alex Fletcher back into the fold after he sat out Tuesday's game through suspension. Dylan Mitchell deputised in his place on Tuesday night but could drop out of the starting 11 to make space for Fletcher.
