Smith upbeat for start of Shield

Rob Smith" class="imageframe alignright" height="130" src="http://www.shropshirestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/robsmith.jpg" width="175"/>Rob Smith will tonight demand a "big performance" from his AFC Telford squad as they kick off their Setanta Shield campaign.

Still reeling from Saturday's dismal FA Cup exit at Matlock, Smith is anxious for his side to see off Solihull Moors at the New Bucks Head in what is the Conference's version of the League Cup.

Telford's selection policy will be at least partly governed by competition rules which state at least 10 of the 16-man party employed on Saturday must form part of the squad tonight.

But Smith has revealed changes will be made - with midfield duo Steve Palmer and Elliott Durrell, 17, both pencilled in for run-outs at some stage.

"This competition wasn't at the top of our priorities at the start of the season, but we need a performance in it to get Saturday out of our system a bit," said the Bucks chief.

"We want to win and we want to progress. There will be changes but that shouldn't weaken us because we can't get any worse than we were on Saturday.

"We were going to make the changes anyway and it's a chance for people to show what they can do.

"We are not going to have a massive over-reaction to last Saturday because we have been good before that so it will be largely the tried and tested for a massive game this weekend (against Burscough).

"But there are places up for grabs and if people turn in really good performances tonight, they will definitely be pushing."

One man who won't be appearing is Lee Vaughan. The wing-back is rated as only having a 50-50 chance of being fit for Saturday after his ankle injury allowed him to complete only 45 minutes at Matlock, something which left Smith disappointed.

"We were told that he was 100 per cent fit for Saturday but he clearly wasn't and that disappointed me a bit," he added.

"But I think Lee has learned his lesson from that."