AFC Telford 2 Nuneaton 4 - Report and pictures

The Bucks had hoped to confirm survival here but a former player came back to haunt them, winger Greg Mills grabbing a brace - as did Jordan Nicholson.

Mills and Nicholson each struck as Boro took a two-goal lead, from which they were unexpectedly pegged back before half-time through close-range finishes from Ben Bailey and Lee Hughes.

It was a case of deja vu as Mills and Nicholson both scored again in the second period, and this time Telford had no reply.

Rob Smith's men are on 41 points, six better off than third-bottom Gainsborough Trinity, with two games to play.

The Bucks do have a much better goal difference than Trinity, having conceded 11 less, but they are not out of it and stranger things have happened in football.

Analysis

Telford made one change from the 1-1 draw at Stockport County as Eddie Jones - who played at Edgeley Park despite suffering with a hernia, for which he is due to have an operation - made way for John Marsden.

Smith also stuck with the 5-3-2 formation that worked so well on Good Friday, while visitors Nuneaton had two former Bucks in their side, Ben O'Hanlon and Mills.

The hosts came flying out of the blocks and had Boro very much on the back foot in the first five minutes. Firstly, an attempted clearance deflected off of Telford midfielder Jack Rea, and forced a sharp save from Tyrell Belford.

Joel Dielna then whipped in a peach of a cross, which no one could get on the end of, before Marsden headed over at the near post following a corner.

The away side could barely get the ball out of their own half in the early stages of the game, and that was credit to the very high tempo the Bucks were playing at - passing sharply, and closing down efficiently.

Hughes had the ball in the net just nine minutes in too, but he was flagged offside. It was great to see Smith's charges getting up the pitch at such pace, but they had to be careful not to over-commit as Boro had plenty of speed in attack.

That was on display as a counter-attack 15 minutes in almost resulted in a goal, with winger Nicholson cutting in onto his left foot, and curling the ball just wide of the far post.

Telford just got away with that one, but they were punished four minutes later as Mills struck against his former employers. Nicholson burst into the box on the right hand side, and squared it across the face of goal for Mills to finish from an acute angle.

The Bucks' attacking threat then petered out as Nuneaton started to take control of the affair, passing it well in the middle of the park and then looking to release the speedy trio of Nicholson, Mills and Ashley Chambers.

And the former - who was always a threat with his fancy footwork - capitalised on a defensive error to double the visitors' advantage in the 36th minute.

Midfielder Joe Fitzpatrick's wayward pass allowed Nicholson to burst towards the box before, coolly, slotting the ball into the far corner with his left foot. Like the first, a difficult finish was made to look pretty easy.

You perhaps would have backed Nuneaton to build on their lead before the interval, but the Telford players had other ideas as they remarkably drew level before the first half was said and done.

Bailey responded first, smashing home from close range in the 42nd minute after Josh Wilson's free-kick from the left deflected into his path.

Then in stoppage time, Hughes got back amongst the goals as he headed into the far corner following Dielna's pin-point set piece delivery. The former West Bromwich Albion man had gone five games without a goal before that one.

It was an enthralling first half with plenty of action. You wondered whether the game would die down a little bit in the second, but it certainly did not.

The Bucks made an attacking change at half-time as Connor McCarthy came on for Paul McCone, but having one less man at the back played a part as Nuneaton retook the lead in the 47th minute.

Mills was on the scoresheet yet again, after being presented with too much time and space turn on the edge of the area and pick his spot - low in the near corner, past an outstretched Callum Burton.

Dwayne Samuels - who has been struggling with a back injury over recent weeks - had to be substituted shortly after that goal, with Jones coming on and Jack Rea moving to right-back.

Smith's side was a little imbalanced then, with no real clear formation apparent, but they were definitely still in the game and should have drew level again after 68 minutes as Marsden headed over, unmarked, from six yards out.

You sensed there was another goal to come as the game entered its closing stages, and it was Boro who got it in the 77th minute.

Chambers beat the offside trap and, having forced Burton to come off his line, squared the ball to Nicholson to tap into an empty net. A sloppy goal to concede.

Dan Westwood was given a late run-out, replacing Hughes, but did not see a lot of the ball as Nuneaton saw out a deserved win.

Teams

Telford (5-3-2): Burton; Samuels (Jones, 54), Bailey, Havern (c), McCone (McCarthy, 45), Dielna; Rea, Fitzpatrick, Marsden; Wilson, Hughes (Westwood, 79)

Subs not used: Lilly, Higham

Nuneaton (4-3-3): Belford; Gascoigne, Geohaghon (Penny, 73), Langmead (c), O'Hanlon; Elliot, Scott, Kelly-Evans (Gyasi, 90); Nicholson (Thomas, 90), Chambers, Mills

Subs not used: Tweed, Dibble

Referee: Joe Hull

Attendance: 1,246