Rob Smith: AFC Telford will now push on

The Bucks sealed their National League North survival with one game to spare on Saturday after their 2-0 victory over Worcester City at the New Bucks Head, and Brackley Town's 1-1 draw at Curzon Ashton.

They will finish the current campaign at Chorley this Saturday and could end the season as high as 15th.

Smith commended his players for their fighting spirit and singled out Curtis Tilt, who played the majority of the Worcester game with a suspected broken rib.

He said: "I have told the boys, it's alien to me celebrating staying up. We should be celebrating getting promotions but we were dead and buried, let's make no mistake about it.

"Look back to Hednesford (the 3-1 loss in January), how we felt down here walking down that tunnel, I have got 500 fans telling me and Larry (Chambers) that we are taking us down.

"That was hurtful and really personal but it actually drove me on more than ever, you can never write us off.

"You know who your friends are in situations like this and I've got to pick someone out, Curtis Tilt.

"He said at half-time 'I can't even kick the ball without being in agony' but I just said you've got to keep going, play through it and what a hero (he is).

"I've had him around me all of the time, I brought him here and he's the sort of character I like, Camps (Darren Campion) as well has been fantastic over the last few months.

"I have never had a relegation on my CV, I never want one, and I never want to go through that ever again."

In terms of the aims for the future, Smith wants his side to consolidate after acknowledging the division will be even stronger next term.

He said: "You've got Kidderminster and Halifax, likely coming in, Altrincham, Darlington, who are a massive club, so I think we need to settle down a little bit.

"That's my personal opinion, I know the club always demands success, and so it should, but where has success got us over the years?

"We end up back in the same place, in a worse position. I think we need to stabilise but I can guarantee you one thing, as long as I'm here at the club, we won't be in a mess like that again.

"The way I feel now, it's a strange achievement but it's got be the biggest (for me) because we've got over a 1,000 fans feeling like that.

"We have sent a lot of people home happy, and I'm really proud of that."