AFC Telford United preview: Bucks host struggling Darlington in search for much-needed win

Kevin Wilkin says he will keep things simple when laying out exactly what his Telford players need to do beat fellow strugglers Darlington this weekend.

The Bucks come into the game off the back of back-to-back defeats against King’s Lynn and Chorley in the National League North, having previously gone 5 games without a defeat in 90 minutes across the league and FA Cup.

Tomorrow’s game sees Telford face one of the two teams below them in the division with Darlo 23rd on eight points from their 11 games, and the Bucks boss was keen not to complicate things when discussing where he thinks the game will be won and lost.

“It’s very simple for me this weekend,” Wilkin said. “More of our players need to do better than more of their players, in a nutshell that’s where I think we’re at.

“Whatever that looks like, that’s what we have to do. Whether it’s scoring goals, keeping a clean sheet, making saves, having shots, winning tackles, we have to be better than they are to a man, and if we have enough men that are better than they do we’ll give ourselves every chance of winning the game.

“The players are trying hard, but we need that extra little bit of quality to go and make a real difference.

“Our goals for record isn’t great and our goals against record isn’t great, and that tells you we’re not performing well enough at this level right now.”

Telford are the lowest scorers in the division this season with nine goals, and as a former striker himself the Bucks boss is desperate to see those issues resolved collectively, rather than relying just on those at the top end of the pitch to score.

“Ability in front of goal is the most expensive commodity in football for a reason, and there’s no doubt we’re struggling on that front” Wilkin admitted. “Scoring goals doesn’t necessarily stop at the door of the striker though, we have other players who can go and get goals and I don’t think we’ve had a goal from a restart moment by a defender yet this season.

“It’s a team effort and I don’t want to just point the finger at our strikers. Yes, they need to score more goals, and if they did so we’d win more games, but equally other players have to come up with moments.

“Strikers have to go back and defend in certain moments and situations so it is about everyone in the team doing their very best, whether that’s in an attacking moment or a defensive moment.”

Telford are optimistic about being able to welcome defenders Jordan Cranston and Matt Curley back into the fold this weekend.

Cranston has missed a chunk of the season with various niggles, while Curley has been absent since the visit to Harborough Town in September after picking up a fracture to his elbow.

Matty Stenson and Jamie Meddows remain long-term absentees and are not expected to return this month.