AFC?Telford 1 Forest Green Rovers 2 - Match report

At half-time there seemed almost no way back.

At full-time fans were scratching their heads as to how The Bucks failed to emerge from their first home game of the new Blue Square Bet Premier season with a point.

Andy Sinton's side, by his own admission, had been second-best in the first 45 minutes and found themselves two goals down against a highly-rated Forest Green Rovers side.

• See pictures from Telford's defeat to Forest Green

But a change of formation and the introduction of summer signing Luke Hubbins on the right wing transformed the game and set up a thrilling finale at The New Bucks Head.

Much had been made of the visitors' play-off credentials, and their host of eye-catching new additions, so it says something about the quality Telford have added in the off-season that one of their new recruits produced arguably the best performance of the night.

But for all the plaudits The Bucks will get for a stirring second half fightback there was a sense of frustration that Telford gave themselves just too much to do after a listless first half.

Rovers took the lead just five minutes in when Aarran Racine powered home at the far post from Jamie Collins' flick-on.

Ryan Young got a hand to it but from such close range he had little chance of keeping the ball from crossing the line.

It was the start they would have been hoping to avoid and they were fortunate not to be further behind as Rovers out-manoeuvred them for large spells of the first half.

The direct approach almost paid off again as James Norwood got behind his marker but could only guide the ball wide.

Reece Styche should have made doubled his side's lead long before he did when he gathered a long punt upfield inside the box, but the forward completely miscued his shot.

But he made no mistake five minutes before the break when his low cross was deflected past Young by Chris Blackburn's outstretched leg.

Steve Jones, playing as part of a three-man attack with Kieron St Aimee and Jake Reid, showed glimpses of creativity.

And new signing Steve Leslie also showed bags of effort in midfield as he tried to engineer a decent chance for the hosts.

But there was little indication at half-time that Telford would be able to turn the game around.

Hubbins was introduced at the break at the expense of Reid as Sinton sacrificed a striker for a greater midfield presence.

And it worked wonders as Telford bossed the next 45 minutes, albeit without finding that vital equaliser.

Rovers could have wrapped the game up when the pacey Kieron Forbes saw a fierce shot turned wide but Telford soon found their feet.

Hubbins saw a dangerous effort deflected out for a corner from a swift attack involving St Aimie and Jones.

And Phil Trainer, who had been booked just before half-time, headed narrowly over from the resulting corner.

The volume levels had risen noticeably as the 1,500-strong crowd sensed a breakthrough.

And it was richly deserved when it arrived on the hour from Nathan Rooney's clinical finish. The former Wolves man slotted home after another Hubbins cross had caused havoc.

The visitors were clearly rattled and their possession became ragged as Telford pressed hard for the leveller.

Blackburn wasn't far away with an overhead kick which cleared the crossbar and Jones saw a snapshot saved by Sam Russell in the final minutes from another first class delivery by Hubbins.

A Jones penalty claim was also waved away after he appeared to be pulled down in the box.

But the cavalry charge had arrived just too late as four minutes of injury time elapsed all too quickly for the home side.

AFC Telford: Young, Salmon, Valentine, Blackburn, Preston, Rooney (Spray 87), Trainer (K Taylor 81), Jones, Leslie, St Aimee, Reid (Hubbins HT). Subs not used: Cudworth, Brown.

Forest Green: Russell, Turley, Racine, Oshodi, Asafu-Adjaye, Forbes (Bangura 87), Collins, Rowe, Norwood (Marsh 70), Styche (M Taylor 64), Wright. Subs not used: Bulman, Vieira.

Attendance: 1,582

See also:

• Phil Trainer: No world beaters to frighten us
• AFC Telford 1 Forest Green Rovers 2
• Andy Sinton AFC Telford fans backing plea