Bucks in the hunt for new recruits

AFC Telford United will this week step up their search for new recruits - as midfielder Chris Nurse prepares to return to the United States.

Guyanese international Nurse has had only a limited impact since joining from New York-based Rochester Rhinos in the autumn and was an unused substitute in Saturday's 0-0 draw at home to Solihull Moors.

He is this week jetting back across the Atlantic to link up with new club Puerto Rico Islanders, coached by former Northern Ireland international Colin Clarke, who will play in the new USSF D2 Pro League.

The 25-year-old's departure was confirmed by Telford boss Rob Smith, who will use the spare funds in his budget to try and bring in at least one new face ahead of the weekend trip to Hyde United in the Blue Square North.

"Chris is going to a training camp in Puerto Rico for four weeks before the start of the season over there," Smith confirmed. "He's been a good lad to work with, and we wish him all the best.

"We're nowhere near getting anybody in, but we've got a week to work on things."

Smith also admitted his frustration at seeing the Bucks held to a goalless draw against Solihull.

A win would have lifted Telford into the play-off places, and their manager was disappointed by their failure to apply serious pressure on the visitors' goal.

"We should have been bombarding their goal in the second half, but we didn't look like we had the real fight to do it," he admitted.

"Everyone was waiting for everyone else to make it happen, and the disappointing thing is that we never really worked the keeper.

"We had a lot of play, but in the last third we didn't create anything. That's been a bit of the story of our season.

By CHRIS HUDSON