Shane Sutton urges AFC Telford to make most of second chance

The Bucks, who last made the proper rounds in the 2014/15 season, host Stafford Rangers in a third qualifying round replay.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Marston Road was low on quality but Rob Edwards’ charges showed plenty of endeavour, equalising late on after being reduced to 10 men.

Ahead of tonight’s clash at the New Bucks Head, Sutton said: “The manager has just said what they were good at, and what we need to do against that.

“Everyone knows their jobs. It’s quite good now as we know their threats – they are really good in the air.

“We have to make sure we win the first and second balls as they won probably 60 or 70 per cent of them on Saturday. We know what we need to do.

“We’re just lucky we have got another chance.”

The 28-year-old defender laid out a clear instruction before Saturday’s clash – do not make any mistakes and stick to the game plan.

They conceded inside the first 10 minutes, though, as Richard Batchelor headed home.

Telford had the lion’s share of possession for the rest of the game and John Marsden struck after Aaron Hayden was sent off for raising his hand to Boro striker Richard Gregory’s face.

“It is another set-piece, they have been killing us this season,” said Sutton

“You cannot keep conceding goals like that.

“In the first half, we did not start well but I thought we had a good tempo and we were getting forward and creating a few chances.

“It was just good to get back into the game because (before Saturday) I think every game we conceded first we lost.”

Sutton played alongside the dismissed Hayden at centre-half. The man on loan from Wolves was given his marching orders after clashing with Gregory as a corner was set to be taken.

Referee Thomas Parsons pulled out the red card after consulting with one of his assistants, and Sutton was seen protesting the decision.

On whether he had any words of advice for Hayden or let the youngster learn from it, he said: “He says he hasn’t slapped the lad and the linesman said he did.

“I’m not facing it. We’ve just got to forget about that – it is what it is.

“We just showed good character after that to get back into the game.”

Sutton also expressed his gratitude to the Bucks fans, who he felt were ‘fantastic again’ at Rangers.

He added: “We spoke about that in the changing room afterwards, that the fans were fantastic again – they always are.”

Hayden will be available for tonight’s game as suspensions in non-league do not come into effect until seven days after the red card.

Fellow centre-half and Wolves loanee Connor Johnson is available after serving a three-match ban. Ryan Wilson is cup-tied.