AFC Telford boss Gavin Cowan not looking at league table

The Bucks sit third after a 3-2 win at Spennymoor Town on Saturday, writes Richard Worton.

They are unbeaten so far – picking up three victories and two draws – but Cowan said: “I’ve no desire to look at the league table at present.

“It’ll be a rollercoaster this season, but where we’re at is that we’ve played five games and we’ve started the season extremely well.”

Cowan’s team trailed 1-0 at half-time after a below-par 45 minutes, but some firm words from the Telford chief helped his side turn it around.

Daniel Udoh scored twice in three minutes, before Ellis Deeney added a third goal.

However, the Bucks had a difficult last 10 minutes or so when right-back Ryan Sears, on loan from Shrewsbury Town, was shown a second yellow card and dismissed.

Cowan wasn’t happy with the officiating of referee Dean Hulme but wouldn’t comment on the dismissal, instead preferring to praise his side’s “character, attitude and application.”

Those hadn’t been so obvious in the first half, and post-game Cowan revealed what he’d said to his side.

“I spoke about intensity, character, high impact, and we didn’t get it, so half-time was probably my most animated, but the lads responded to it,” he said.

“We’ve just had five games in 14 days, and that’s an awful lot. I was on the cusp of changing things quite dramatically, but I held off. I spoke to them individually and as a group and just asked them if they could give me one big push, which they did.”

One enforced change came in goal, as keeper Sheridan Martinez suffered a dislocated finger in training on Thursday, saving Cowan a real dilemma of who should be handed the no.1 shirt.

With three goalkeepers on the books following the signing of Andy Wycherley, he put his faith in on-loan Leicester City keeper Max Bramley, but felt for Martinez.

“He dislocated his finger on Thursday, so I certainly had a decision to make,” said Cowan.

“Shez was certainly at the forefront of my mind, after a fantastic performance on Tuesday, and I still don’t know who I would have gone with, but he came over to me (on Thursday) and had a finger the size of my arm, so that was disappointing for him.”