We need to hit the ground running, says AFC Telford boss Rob Edwards

The Bucks rallied during Tuesday’s 5-3 defeat to York City to add some respectability to the scoreline after a disastrous first hour.

But a glut of postponements and three straight league defeats have left Edwards’ men just one place and one point above the drop zone.

The visit of a Nuneaton side two points and four places better off – having played two games more than the Bucks – offers a chance to potentially move several places up the table.

But Edwards knows his side cannot afford to leave their best form until the match is effectively over.

“It’s ifs, buts and maybes,” said Edwards of his team’s spirited finish on Tuesday.

“All that matters is points and scoring more than the opposition. York did that on Tuesday. Whether we gifted it to them is another thing.

“We need to start games like we played in the second half. We have talked about it quite a lot, trying to start games fast and getting onto the front foot.

“When they go over that white line it is up to them. They gave it everything. They really rolled their sleeves up and tried in the second half.

“I guess that is why we did not get fully booed off at the end. Fans could see they tried.

“But it’s another loss at home and it is not good enough.”

Telford’s poor run of results has been all the more frustrating for the fact that, at times, they have actually played quite well.

But the New Bucks Head boss knows excuses will wear thin and his players must cut out the mistakes.

“People don’t want to hear that we work hard. Obviously we work hard and the players give everything,” he added.

“It doesn’t matter about formations and tactics. It is about working harder than the opposition. We have shown we can do it.

“We have done it in periods of almost every game this year but it is not enough.

“York are a big club who are up there in the play-offs but I didn’t think they looked loads better than us.

“We are down the bottom and they are at the top. The reason for that is we make too many mistakes.

“I blame myself for that. It’s on me. If we lose a game, it’s my fault. If i get the team wrong, the tactics wrong, it is down to me.

“It’s my fault. I work with the team during the week. It’s on me. I am the manager.

“The players have shown it. Against York, a team who are right up there, we more than matched them at times.

“But we can’t keep making the same mistakes.

“We trust them to do it. Whatever team I pick, from the squad we have got at the moment, I trust they can get something from the game.

“I’m fed up of saying it and I know people will be fed up of hearing it – we played well but gave away silly goals.

“But for the people who were there (on Tuesday) it was there for all to see.”