Shropshire Star

Dennis Greene: Telford won’t go down

Dennis Greene is confident AFC Telford United will not be relegated this season after a 3-0 defeat at Kidderminster saw them join the National League North basement boys.

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Telford are one of four teams rooted on nine points at the foot of the table though, with just the bottom side relegated, they are third-bottom thanks to goal difference.

But the disappointing defeat at Aggborough, where the depleted visitors were well-beaten, leaves Telford looking over their shoulder with tough fixtures looming.

Greene, whose side welcome leaders AFC Fylde next, had to field four of his loan youngsters as suspension and injuries bit at Kidderminster. But the boss believes he now has a squad close to that of a mid-table side and recruitment of permanent players in the weeks to come will move Telford clear of trouble.

“(Tom) Sparrow has been excellent for us, Cam (Antwi) in the main has been excellent, (Kevin) Berkoe has been great and gone back (to parent club Salford). Greene said: “Next week we’ve got Saul (Shotton) and Theo (Streete) back (from suspension), they potentially can help us, we’ve now got Ewan (Bange) in as a centre-forward, we’re not far away now from being a squad that’s probably mid-table.

“Then what we need is permanent players in, so when the loans go back in January, we can get two or three permanent players in over the next seven weeks to play in front of loan players, then we’ve got our own team.

“It’s so hard to do the recruitment you want in the season, anyone who is any good is under contract, so you’ve got to buy them or guve them more money.

“You’re recruitment should’ve been done in pre-season, that’s when you do it, and we’re now in a position where we have to get loan players. It’s very hard to get the ones you want straight away.

“You don’t want to get a player in, put him under contract as he’s not really what you want next year.

“It’s difficult, but only one goes down, we certainly won’t be one of those that go down and we’re just trying to get the recruitment right.”