Graham Hutchison: AFC Telford will man up

The Bucks head to Northamptonshire on the back of two National League North defeats, with their hosts just two points behind them in 19th.

Lowestoft Town are one place below Brackley in the final relegation spot but have a game in hand on both sides.

But Hutchison, who is on loan from Halifax, believes the Bucks must respond from recent disappointments in the right manner. He said: "Brackley is looking like a decisive game for us.

"But we need to be men about it and go there, pull together as a team and make sure we put on a performance but vitally get the right result as well.

"We need to keep looking at ourselves, not anyone else. The next game is vital and we just need to start picking up points again and getting goals again."

The Bucks' bid for survival has been dealt a blow following defeats against champions Solihull and North Ferriby, who secured a play-off spot with their win.

Hutchison is calling for everyone to rewind a couple of months, when Telford embarked on a mammoth seven-game unbeaten run, winning five and keeping five consecutive clean sheets into the bargain.

The former Scotland Under-21 international said: "It's disappointing, but you need to look where we've come from.

"If you'd have told us back at Stalybridge that we'd take on Solihull – who'd basically won the league – and Ferriby – and run them close, we'd have taken it.

"During the first-half, I think we matched them but in the second-half, we didn't come out of the blocks as we'd have liked to but we were still in the game.

"Obviously, the first goal was a sucker punch but we got on with it. We were pushing, we had (defender) Curtis (Tilt) up front and they caught us on the break and that killed the game."

It was Hutchison's first start since the 1-0 win at Harrogate in March, where he limped off and missed four league matches as makeshift defender and midfielder Mike Grogan performed impressively alongside Tilt.

Hutchison, who impressed during his exile in a recent outing in the Shropshire Senior Cup final against Shrewsbury Town, insists he had no complaints about having to wait for his chance again.

He said: "The lads were doing well, so there were no complaints from me. Circumstances changed and I managed to get back into the team and I feel good, but I am just gutted we didn't get any points."

Goalkeeper James Montgomery has called for Telford to look at signing Hutchison again next season, after three successful loan spells in Shropshire.

But the former Birmingham City academy youngster insists any decision on his future will have to wait until Telford's destiny is determined.

He said: "I want to get Telford safe first, that's my priority. Halifax have a 12-month option on my contract, so we'll see what happens."