In-form Bucks go back-to-back - Southport 1 AFC Telford United 2

A fourth game without defeat and a third win in those four matches lifted AFC Telford United into 15th in National League North.

Alex Fletcher’s equaliser and a frighteningly good finish from Louis Moult made it a Halloween treat for Kevin Wilkin’s men on Merseyside.

The Bucks were pressed into a solitary change to the team that won at Hereford in midweek. Zak Lilly reported a shoulder injury after the Edgar Street game and was replaced by Jordan Cranston.

Southport were hoping for some new manager bounce, with Calum McIntyre, the former Chester boss, taking charge of his first game. The hosts began the day in 23rd position, and McIntyre is their third manager already this season.

McIntyre got a dream start, as the Bucks found themselves behind early on. After an even start that saw an early free-kick from Dylan Dwyer cleared away and a penalty appeal for the hosts waved aside, the breakthrough arrived after five minutes.

Adam Moseley made progress down the left before finding Sol Solomon, who drove a low effort beyond Brandon Hall and into the corner from just inside the penalty area.

The Bucks responded positively and gradually gained a foothold in the game. A neat move involving Alex Fletcher, Remi Walker and Charlie Williams ended with Benning crossing into goalkeeper Dougless Lukjanciks’s hands.

At the same time, Hall was called upon at the other end to comfortably gather an effort from Moseley following Minihan’s delivery from the right.

As the half developed, Telford began to create clearer opportunities.

Walker tested Lukjanciks from a free-kick that curled around the wall, although it lacked the pace to find the net, before Jamie Meddows produced one of the visitors’ best moments.

Receiving possession on the right-hand side of the penalty area, Meddows turned sharply away from his marker and forced Lukjanciks to tip his shot over the crossbar.

The pressure continued. A corner was worked cleverly to Walker, whose low effort was held at the near post, and moments later Lukjanciks was booked for taking too long over a restart.

From the resulting indirect free-kick, a little over six yards from goal, Meddows laid the ball into Walker’s path, but his strike was blocked. Walker then tried his luck again from distance, only to find Lukjanciks equal to the effort.

Telford remained the more threatening side, with Meddows continuing to influence proceedings in attacking areas. Their persistence was rewarded in the 33rd minute when Alex Fletcher levelled matters.

The midfielder’s shot from 18 yards took a significant deflection, wrong-footing the Lukjanciks and finding the net to bring the Bucks deservedly back on to level terms.

The visitors continued to press before the interval, with Louis Moult’s pass releasing Williams and Walker almost profiting from uncertainty between the defence and Lukjanciks.

Solomon was booked for a foul on Fletcher after McLintock lost possession, but saw his error retrieved by his captain. Walker’s determined pressing then stripped the ball from Kyle Jameson, the defender recovering to tackle Walker at the expense of a corner on the right.

The Bucks began the second half on the front foot and almost took the lead within five minutes of the restart. A free-kick on the left led to a corner, and from the resulting delivery, Cranston met the ball at the far post with a thunderous effort that crashed against the underside of the crossbar before bouncing clear and away from danger.

Southport responded with a spell of attacking intent of their own. Dwyer fired narrowly over from distance, while Telford continued to look dangerous in possession. Jamie Meddows delivered a deep cross from the right that was controlled well by Moult before he teed up Walker, whose right-footed strike was pushed away by the keeper.

The visitors nevertheless continued to create the better openings.

A dangerous Benning cross flashed across goal without finding a finish, and Meddows was denied by a timely Jameson challenge just as he looked set to capitalise on Walker’s clever pass.

At the other end, Southport briefly threatened when Telford's sloppy possession invited pressure, but Solomon was caught offside before he could take advantage.

A concern for the Bucks arrived in the 64th minute when Charlie Williams pulled up while chasing his own touch, appearing to suffer a hamstring injury. Kian Ryley replaced him.

Four minutes later, came the winning goal. Fletcher found Walker and threaded a perfectly-weighted pass through the Southport defence for Moult, who timed his run to perfection. Keeping his composure, Moult glanced up before curling an exquisite finish across Lukjanciks and into the far corner.

The Bucks nearly doubled their advantage as Ryley met a cross from McLintock, only for Lukjanciks to produce an outstanding save that pushed the effort upwards, the ball dropping on to the top of the crossbar.

With Southport pressing in the closing stages, Cranston and Oliver Cawthorne were repeatedly called upon to defend corners and deliveries into the box, while Brandon Hall dealt with growing pressure.

Five minutes of added time brought one final scare when Moseley created a chance for Ogwuru, but the forward headed wide when he really should have scored.

Moments later, Southport’s Regan Griffiths was dismissed for a second yellow card after hauling down Walker to halt a Telford counter-attack. He had been booked for a show of petulance when the referee halted the game for Williams’ injury, and accepted his fate.

That allowed the Bucks to see out the time that remained for a hard-earned but deserved victory.

AFC Telford United (4-3-3): Hall, Curley, Benning, Cranston, Cawthorne, Fletcher, McLintock, Walker, Williams (Ryley 65), Meddows, Moult (90+3). Subs not used: Mitchell, Lambert, England, Anderson.