AFC Telford United aim to take advantage of Farsley slip up

The Bucks know victory on their first trip to York City’s swanky new LNER Community Stadium will open a four-point gap over rock-bottom Celtic, who occupy the only position set to drop from National League North into step three of non-league football.

Farsley missed their own chance to climb above Telford on Saturday – going down 2-1 against third-bottom Gloucester City after conceding two goals inside the final five minutes. That won’t yet prove the decisive blow in the survival battle, but it could certainly be a telling one with Bucks and Farsley holding just four victories each.

And a fifth triumph of the season for Telford tonight would only increase the importance of that result on Saturday. York are hardly enjoying a stellar campaign – they sit 11th in the table with only outside hopes of reaching the top seven and a place in this season’s play-offs.

However, they have won their last three matches in all competitions, coming from 2-0 behind against lower-league Morpeth Town on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Trophy.

Mitch Hancox scored twice for the second match in succession to overturn that deficit, while the hosts are also set to field former Brentford and Blues striker Clayton Donaldson – back in his second spell at the club, 14 years after the first ended.

Bucks could hand a full debut to their own former Football League attacker in Byron Moore.

The ex-Crewe Alexandra man can also provide a threat from the wing or wing-back – and it was only last season he was playing a key role in Plymouth Argyle surviving relegation, just one point and one place behind Shrewsbury Town in the final standings.

A failed three-month deal at Torquay United followed in the National League before rocking up at the New Bucks Head for his debut in defeat to Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

Midfielder Lamine Sherif could also make his debut tonight.