Telford 1 Southport 1 - Report

Telford had to recover from the double blow of midfielder Jack Byrne’s dismissal early in the second half, and the lead taken by the visitors just before an hour had elapsed, writes Rich Worton.

Byrne’s sending off, for two bookable offences, proved to be the pivotal moment in what was an entertaining encounter at the New Bucks Head, albeit one which only those watching via the club’s online streaming service could witness, as the home side recovered from a goal deficit with 10 men to equalise with a terrific Brendon Daniels free-kick.

Daniels was returning to the starting line-up after nearly five weeks absent, having picked up an injury on the opening day of the Bucks season in the FA Cup tie at Chasetown.

Cowan would have had a selection dilemma if Henry Cowans hadn’t picked up a quad injury in training, so Lee Vaughan switched back to the right to accommodate Daniels.

However, it was the visitors who had the better of a goalless first half played at a hectic pace.

With skipper David Morgan at the heart of it, they put the Telford backline under severe pressure, both from open play and set pieces – the Bucks struggling particularly to cope with long throws into their penalty area.

The Bucks’ lone effort at goal in the early stages was a blocked James Hardy shot, while at the opposite end the busy Connor Woods was keen to test the Bucks defence, Russ Griffiths pushing away his sharp 20-yard shot in the 14th

minute.

Despite having to weather the Port storm, the game’s clearest chance fell to the home side on 23 minutes.

Former Buck Russell Benjamin lost possession to a strong Adam Walker challenge in midfield and Walker ran at the heart of the defence before setting up Hardy for an angled low shot blocked by the body of Dan Hanford.

Hanford then reacted quickly to save Daniels’ powerful low shot when possibly unsighted – the Bucks then unable to turn the resulting loose ball into the net.

At the opposite end, Griffiths turned away Morgan’s quickly-taken shot from the edge of the box, before former Chorley striker Marcus Carver fired high and wide of goal from a good position minutes before half-time.

More Port pressure saw a Woods shot blocked and the Bucks at occasional sixes and sevens from long throw-ins, while Byrne went into the referee’s notebook for a foul on Jack Doyle.

The significance of that moment late in the first half was to become apparent just seven minutes into the second half.

Byrne fouled Port’s Woods, and referee Kristian Silcock called the captains together before surprisingly brandishing a second yellow and a red card in Byrne’s direction.

Southport soon made the man advantage count.

On 59 minutes, a corner was headed firmly back across goal by Somalian international and central defender Mo Ali, and Carver made the slightest of contacts with his head to glance the ball past Griffiths.

Would the Bucks fold? In short, no, and their response to the situation was to metaphorically roll up their sleeves.

Walker led by example, and they almost levelled on 64 minutes when Daniels dug out a cross from the left, which Jason Oswell stretched to try and force the ball home – Hanford denying him with a brave block.

Walker then took control of a dangerous situation in his own penalty area before surging from box to box, laying the ball off but then being taken down by a crude and late lunge from Ali.

The resulting free-kick, 20 yards out, had Daniels’ name written all over it, and the left-wing-back stepped up to strike a hard, low effort around the Port defensive wall to Hanford’s left and into the corner.

That arrived on 68 minutes and barely a minute later the Bucks could have flipped the afternoon on its head.

Counter-attacking from deep, substitute Jordan Davies – a half-time replacement for Aaron Williams – laid the ball into Daniels’ path and he dinked his shot over the advancing Hanford, only for the ball to rebound off the keeper’s right post and back into his grateful grasp.

Both sides clearly felt the additional points were there to be claimed, and Port skipper David Morgan probably went closest to claiming them in the time that remained when he let the ball run across his body to shoot on the turn – however, Griffiths in the Bucks goal pushed the ball away to his right.

Three points were arguably more than the Bucks truly deserved, but a point was certainly the least they warranted, and the manner in which they earned it said much for their resolve.