AFC Telford United 1 Stourbridge 5 - Sorry Bucks suffer midweek trashing
AFC Telford United were thrashed by five-star Stourbridge on a miserable evening at the SEAH Stadium that ended 5-1 to the visitors.
Remi Walker’s second half goal was a brief bright spark on an evening that started badly and finished off even worse for Kevin Wilkin’s side.
George Burroughs made his second full debut for The Bucks after rejoining the club last week, with the 21-year-old defender replacing Byron Moore in the starting 11.
In the first 45 minutes The Bucks looked far and away from the side that came so close to promotion out of the division last season.
Sloppy errors in possession meant the hosts were unable to build a sustained period of pressure as they struggled to get to grips with Stourbridge’s fluid 4-2-3-1 system.
Uncharacteristic mistakes in defence compounded their slow start, and they were punished just eight minutes in when a floated free-kick to the back post was headed across goal into the path of Harvey Portman, who could not miss from six yards.
And The Glassboys doubled their lead 20 minutes later, again punished for some dozy play in the middle of the park.
Jimmy Armson was robbed of possession by lively midfielder Alex Bradley, who curled a delightful effort past Brandon Hall from 20 yards.
The visitors came close to putting the game to bed for good when Alex Prosser fired over unchallenged from the edge of the box.
The hosts were met by a smattering of boos as they headed for the dressing room at half time and returned a side keen to rectify the errors of their ways.
Walker and Dinanga’s combination play proved threatening, and with 52 minutes on the clock the pair linked up to pull one back for The Bucks.
Good work from the winger freed Walker up on the edge of the box, who took a tough out of his feet before thundering a dipping effort beyond Oliver Taylor to halve the deficit.
The hosts took the wind in their sails and continued to threaten at the top end of the pitch, however lacked a real cutting edge as they did in Bedfordshire on Saturday.
Good chances soon fell to Armson and Sam Whittall, but neither could keep their close-range efforts down.
And despite continuing to pile on the pressure in the closing stages Telford were hit with three late sucker punches that were all their own doing.
A hopeful long ball from The Glassboys defence was not dealt with and Hall’s desperate attempts to steal the ball away from Toumani Sidibe were unsuccessful, leaving the substitute an open goal to roll the ball into.
And Stourbridge piled on the misery further in added time, when Miro Pais hit a low effort past Hall.
And the Glassboys replacement completed a five star performance with a powerful finish in the seventh minute of added time to secure a deserved three points for Liam McDonald’s side.
Subs
Bucks: Hall (GK), Myles, Pendley, Whittall, Burroughs (Off: Brown 64'), Armson, Walker (Goal: 52'), Piggott, Hilton (Off: Angus 82'), Dinanga, Stenson
Unused subs: Solley, Moore
