Mixed emotions at AFC Telford United as they rescue an FA Cup replay

Some late drama in a frantic finale meant AFC Telford United and Worksop Town must do it all again in an Emirates FA Cup replay after a 2-2 draw at the SEAH Stadium.

It was a result that left manager Kevin Wilkin somewhat disappointed, although not as much as he would have been had Louis Moult not equalised in the 85th minute.

Explaining his stance, Wilkin said: “I think that if I chunked the game, the first 20 minutes and getting ourselves into the league as we did and being really comfortable in the game, on the front foot and managing the game really, really well, was terrific.”

The Bucks struck first, Matty Stenson firing his fifth goal of the season under Max Dearnley, but they didn’t add to the goal, and Wilkin felt his own team invited the visiting Tigers back into the game.

“I think then, the following 20-25 minutes, we’ve invited Worksop on to us a little bit and haven't got hold of the ball; we've made some poor decisions, some poor execution, silly fouls, offsides and moments where we're just gifting the ball back to Worksop to get a head of steam up. I thought we were poor.”

That spell ended with Liam Waldock equalising from the penalty spot following a push which Wilkin felt was “soft”.

“I'm not too sure it's a penalty,” he said. “I think it's a really soft moment, but the ref chooses to make that decision, but then I think we came out in the second half and largely looked fairly well in control of the game.”

The contest remained on a knife-edge, with few chances, but as the Bucks pushed for victory, they were undone by an error and a Worksop counter-attack that freed Chae Whitman-Brown to score with just seven minutes remaining.

Wilkin admitted that at that stage, he’d have taken a replay, but after Moult’s leveller they went close on several occasions to winning the tie.

“With whatever it is, five or six minutes left in the game, and to fall behind, yeah, absolutely you'd have taken a draw at that stage,” he said. “I look at the chances we've had in the second half, and to come out of that with only two goals is poor, really.

“We've had some really, really good chances there, and really should have nudged ahead, albeit, Worksop has had a moment there, almost one-on-one, and have rolled it around the post.”

The Bucks boss listed several chances that would have prevented a Tuesday evening trip to Nottinghamshire, saying: “We've hit the post (Stenson); we roll it around the post, and had lots of shots narrowly wide, and the goalie pulling off a save…

“There were lots of moments, but we've got to understand we can't allow the game to end up being a little bit of a lottery, where they have a moment, we have a moment, and you're living on the edge all the time.

“I just think there were some poor decisions from lots of players that we haven't seen over the last sort of three games.”