AFC Telford's John Marsden up for clash against his former employers

The attacking midfielder was let go by Stockport at the end of last season, writes Joe Edwards.

The Bucks go into tonight’s game having lost all five home fixtures – the last being a 5-1 trouncing by Harrogate Town on Saturday – in National League North this term.

Ahead of the clash, Marsden said: “It was obviously the first game I looked for, after leaving Stockport.

“They are a big club at the level and should not be at the level on the fanbase alone.

“They will be organised but there is gaps in them, as there is with all teams.

“We can hurt teams in this league and we have proved that, away from home unfortunately.”

Marsden has made seven appearances this campaign but is yet to score.

He recently recovered from an ankle injury which kept him out for a couple of weeks.

Excited for the game, Marsden would ‘love’ to get off the mark against his old side.

“I am raring for it, but I am not going to go mad,” he said.

“I will take each minute as it comes and I would love to get on the scoresheet, I am not going to lie.

“If we get a result, I will be equally as happy.”

Having played under Jim Gannon for the majority of last term, apart from a brief loan spell at Telford, 24-year-old Marsden says he has a good idea of what to expect from Stockport.

The Hatters have an away record of one win and four losses – and have 14 points, just two better off than the Bucks.

“Stockport are a team who should be expected to be up there and will be very organised,” said Marsden.

“There is no doubt about that, I know for a fact.

“We have got to sort it out quickly and it is down to us as players.

“If we go out there and perform that way (we did on Saturday), any team will come and have a field day.

“We have got to sort ourselves out, dust ourselves down and put on a good performance – for the fans, for ourselves, for the management staff.”

In the majority of their home games, Telford have started off slowly and fell a few goals behind only to pick up when it is too late.

On Saturday, though, they took an early lead but it only lasted six minutes and in the second half they had Connor Johnson sent off after two bookings as they crumbled.

“It is a tough one to speak about,” Marsden said.

“We have come in at half-time in the game, for a change at home.

“And we were big on that. We set ourselves out well, we started well and we were organised well.

“For whatever reason, it didn’t happen in the second half.

“The gaffer has sent us out with a clear game-plan and we just haven’t delivered it as a set of players.

“There is disappointment all around and no one can come away from it with any real credit.”

He added: “It is a really tough one to take, especially at home as the fans still come out.

“We can deliver it away but, and I can’t put my finger on it, the home form just has not been good enough.”