Paul Carden: AFC Telford were lacking at Hereford

The Bucks were left pointless over the Bank Holiday weekend as their miserable away winless run extended with a 1-0 defeat at Hereford, before their rivals caught up on fixtures with Telford without a game on Monday.

Carden’s frustration was compounded with a late red card for defender Harry Flowers at Edgar Street, which leaves the stopper banned for three of the final four fixtures after Telford decided against appealing the suspension.

Telford now prepare for the National League North run-in as they try to complete their survival quest, beginning at promotion-chasing Chorley on Saturday. With four fixtures remaining, Carden’s men are second-bottom, one place and three points clear of Guiseley, who currently occupy the sole drop zone position.

“It was the most frustrated I’ve been in a long while,” Carden said as his side's six-game unbeaten run was ended. “We went away from how we’ve been, we shown an indecisiveness about us, we weren’t aggressive like we have been.

“When I watched the game back – you are always frustrated (afterwards) by the big moments, they can sort of not cloud your judgement but affect where your thoughts are at.

“But watching it back we were the better team in the first half.

“If we deal with the ball that leads to the goal we come in at half-time 0-0 and it’s a completely different scenario, mindset and feeling.

“We didn’t do that, obviously. As the second half wore on we got a bit better, in that we forced more situations and created a few more opportunities but without really looking like we could break them down, apart from one big moment.

“That was a big frustration within the game and then obviously compounded by a red card at the end, which turned into a nightmare day.”

A final quartet of fixtures will decide the Bucks’ fate in what has been a long and unforgiving campaign spanning three managers.

The fixture list does not immediately appear particularly generous to Telford.

After Saturday’s trip to Victory Park to face the Magpies managed by former midfielder Jamie Vermiglio, Telford host sixth-placed Boston United, one position below Chorley, before a Bank Holiday May Day trip to mid-table Southport, Carden’s former club.

The Bucks round off the campaign at home to eighth-placed York City.