AFC Telford preview: Draws need to be turned into wins

Last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Harborough Town could be considered a decent outcome for the Bucks, but Tuesday’s 1-1 stalemate with bottom side Biggleswade Town was a big blow to their title chances.

And ahead of his side’s trip to Hertfordshire this weekend, Bucks boss Kevin Wilkin admitted his side have to learn from their midweek disappointment.

“I don’t think it’s a case of righting wrongs, but we need to understand that there are no easy games, and we said all this before the game on Tuesday,” he explained. 

“For some reason people think that because you’re playing the team bottom of the league you can just turn up and it’ll happen for you, but it doesn't.

“You’ve got to be focused, and we need to show enough quality to overcome sides who lift themselves against us.”

Reflecting on Tuesday night, Wilkin said: “It wasn’t one of our finest performances by any stretch – no-one is denying that – and there was effort out there, but one or two of the lads lost their way which can happen at times.

“Being away from home (on Saturday) creates a different challenge, and we’ll be up against a side who will want to right their own wrongs of what happened when we last played them.

“We weren’t able to beat the side bottom of the table, so we have to respect Bishop’s Stortford and what they’re capable of.

“Hopefully there’s a little bit more cutting edge to our game on Saturday.

“We have to use Tuesday as a timely reminder that every game requires you to be right on it.

“There’s not a team in the league that we can’t give a game to at this level if we go about things in the right way.”

Opponents Bishop’s Stortford sit four points above the relegation zone having had an inconsistent season back in the seventh tier, and after losing 4-1 at the SEAH Stadium earlier this season, have a point to prove.

“In the early part of the season they were up and around it, and were in pretty decent form,” Wilkin said. 

“As is the case with pretty much every team in this league they’ve had some flat points within the season and find themselves in a position they perhaps ordinarily wouldn’t be.”

He added: “If any team was to put together a run now they’d be able to get into the play-off positions and beyond.

“There’ll be lots of teams looking at the division thinking they can win it. 

"It’s still wide open and still there for anybody to put a run together and stake their claim.

“I don’t think anybody in the division can look at it and honestly say they are confident they’ll win the league.

“Albeit I know that if we keep everyone fit and available we have as good a chance as anybody in this league.”