Rob Smith: AFC Telford are too good to go down

The Bucks drew 1-1 at National League North leaders AFC Fylde on Saturday and are now 18th in the table – outside the relegation places on goal difference.

They could very well have got three points against the Coasters – who have only lost once at Mill Farm this term – and Smith said: "I was proud of the performance.

"We are not going down, we're not. We are too good to go down. I know that's a cliché but I think we are, as a squad.

"We shouldn't be where we are. We've been told 'you're too good to go down.'

"We have just been missing a goalscorer. We want to start building for next season, really."

Former West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes made a mark on his Bucks bow as he cancelled out Dan Bradley's opener for the hosts.

Scoring goals has been a problem for the Bucks this term – managing 26 in 28 games – but the 40-year-old has netted hundreds in his career and Smith was impressed by his debut contrubution.

"That's a knack. In the right place at the right time, you can't coach that," he said.

"He is gutted he hasn't scored more but it was not just the goal, it was the all-round performance he gave us.

"With his experience, everybody else buzzed off him."

Hughes now has 14 league goals this season – 13 of those for former club Worcester City.

Telford's top scorer is Josh Wilson with eight goals in all competitions, and the player after that in the Bucks' scoring list is Connor McCarthy – who has been loaned out to Warrington Town for a month – on three in all competitions.

"Love him or hate him, if we had had Hughesy all season then we wouldn't be anywhere near where we are," added Smith.

"My job is to get this football team out of the mess we are in and Lee Hughes is going to help us.

"It's the missing piece and we have been lucky that we have been able to sign a player like that. Hopefully he will score a few more for us."