Bucks fliers happy as Larry

AFC Telford United assistant manager Larry Chambers hailed the club's magnificent supporters after his team charged into the top three of the Blue Square North with a 1-0 win over leaders Southport.

Initiatives to get more school children along paid off as an impressive 3,558 packed into the New Bucks Head - eclipsing the previous league record attendance of 3,226, also set by Telford last season - to watch the top-of-the-table clash.

"Let's hope we've given them a taste and they want to come back for more," said Chambers.

"The fans have been superb all season. Probably early on we didn't give them enough to shout about, but recently they have been superb both home and away.

"It's fantastic and the players really appreciate it."

The record-breaking gate increased the Bucks' average league attendance to just six shy of 2,000, nearly double that of the second-best-supported club King's Lynn.

And the masses were given plenty to smile about as Andy Brown's 73rd minute header earned United all three points - but it was the rock solid defence that Chambers highlighted for praise.

He added: "I thought we defended superbly.

Southport have got a good strikeforce and the lad (Mark) Duffy is an excellent player but we keep them all quiet.

"It's a big blow to lose Stuart Whitehead but Indy (Khela) has come in and done excellently and Gavin (Cowan) has been playing well for three months now.

"But it's the whole back four, not just those two. James Meredith and Lee Vaughan, who has been suffering with flu, showed great committed performances."

United are now just three points off new leaders Tamworth with two league games remaining in 2008, but Chambers insisted that nobody is getting carried away by their fantastic run of form.

"It would be gorgeous to go into Christmas in a good position," he continued.

"We said before the start of the season that if we could go into Christmas in a play-off position then we'd be happy.

"I'm not worried if we go in third, fourth, whatever. My main concern is that the squad is in good shape and playing with confidence."