"We've been busy fools in that moment" - AFC Telford boss on Royston draw

Manager Kevin Wilkin saw his side lose a position of relative comfort late in the first half, to go in 2-1 down at the interval, having led five minutes earlier.

A third Royston goal within two minutes of the restart seemed set to condemn the Bucks to defeat; however, goals in the 87th and 88th minutes from Matty Stenson and Reece Styche pulled the Bucks back from the precipice.

Unsurprisingly, a game of such contrasts produced contrasting emotions in Wilkin: “Again, lots of positives, with three goals away from home, but the big negative is the three goals.

"For probably 45 minutes there we haven't looked in any danger whatsoever. We've got ourselves into the lead, missed a couple of chances that we probably should do better from, and could arguably have had the game put to bed in the in the first period.

"If you go into half-time at one all you can think, 'OK, it's not so bad', and you have to keep pushing and looking for moments, but to go in half-time at two-one is a kick in the teeth, and I think anybody can see that coming.”

The Bucks’ Hertfordshire hosts are in good form, placed eighth in the table before kick-off, but barely registered a shot on goal in the period Wilkin referred to.

The Bucks were dictating and led through Jimmy Armson’s fifth goal of the season; however, Luke Johnson’s conversion of a ball hooked towards him that flat-footed the Bucks rearguard brought the Crows level in the 43rd minute. Worse followed as Ben Weyman jabbed the home side ahead from a few yards out from a corner they couldn't clear effectively.

Wilkin had anticipated a scrap at Garden Walk and altered his formation accordingly. It paid off until those two Royston goals and early in the second half the lead went out to 3-1 through a fine Jesse Akinbuine strike, once again turning the focus onto the Bucks’ defensive frailties.

“We've got lots of numbers behind the ball, but again, I just think we've been busy fools in that moment (the first goal) and not recognising or smelling the danger," said Wilkin. "I think because we've got numbers there, we think they won’t penetrate, and we haven't moved and trusted in one another enough in that moment to recognise the danger.”

The other side of the Bucks’ coin was the recovery they staged at the death to earn a draw. Wilkin made a triple substitution on the hour, introducing Ellis Myles, Ellis Brown and Reece Styche, and it was Gibraltar international Styche who got the dramatic leveller, just 50 seconds after Stenson volleyed his team back to within a goal.

The fightback pleased Wilkin, but he insisted it also didn’t mask his team’s deficiencies: “Saturday was a big plus with the character that we showed to get ourselves, at such a late stage, and keep going and fighting and find those two goals to drag something out of the game.

"They deserve a lot of credit in there, but equally there's a bigger disappointment. We felt there was an opportunity again. I think we recognised the conditions and I think we physically, for 40 minutes, stood up to that.

"Once they got 2-1 up we were in a difficult place and with a better side and playing with confidence it's difficult to fight your way through that, but we did.

"It doesn't hide the fact that again we've conceded three goals and you're not going to come away and keep conceding three goals. We expect to take all three points out of the game and that's what we're searching for."