Telford United bid to recover from late leveller
Gavin Cowan has ordered his AFC Telford players to put their late Spennymoor shock behind them.
The Bucks host Darlington tomorrow looking to bounce back from the disappointment of conceding a last-gasp leveller at Brewery Field last weekend, writes Steve Box.
The 3-3 draw after being 3-1 up against high-flying Spennymoor summed up the season for Cowan’s men – so near, yet so far.
But Cowan insists: “You have to move on, there’s no alternative.
“It was a very good performance away from home against the form team in the league. A lot of people would have taken a point but when you get in that position it’s very disheartening.”
While the Bucks have had a propensity for throwing away leads this campaign, the opposite was the case at Darlington earlier in the season.
But Cowan believes their 3-2 success – after being 2-0 down – counts for little as they prepare to welcome a Quakers side who desperately need a win to keep their National North play-off hopes alive.
“The players are different, it’s a different environment. We just have to go out and beat Darlington on the day,” he added.
“We want to bring the best version of us and I’d like to think that would go a long way towards getting three points.
“We’ve been indifferent at home because of that energy and that expectation and the players need to take responsibility and stand up to that.
“I’d rather a player shoot and miss than not shoot at all, it’s about going in full of confidence.
“We’ve dominated teams higher in the league than us all year and we want to do that again on Saturday.
“But that only comes with hard work, belief and desire and I’m sure the players will bring that.
“We showed everyone what we can do last year. There have been times this year when we haven’t been good enough, but for the most part we have been excellent.
“The last three away games have all been teams in the play-offs that we have dominated in open play, but there has been that weak underbelly of not being able to get the game over the line.
“It’s fine margins. It shows we’re not very far away and that all is not lost.”
Darlington, who are four places and six points better off than Telford in 10th, are without a win in five, although their last three games have ended in draws.
