AFC Telford reaction: “To lose out on three points right at the death there is disappointing for us, but the lads have done fantastic"

Kai Fifield’s injury-time heartbreaker for the hosts cancelled out Matty Stenson’s 25th league goal of the season and left the Bucks rueing missed chances, but also stunned that a dominant second-half display of huge tenacity hadn’t yielded maximum reward.

“To lose out on three points right at the death there is disappointing for us, but the lads have done fantastic all afternoon," said Wilkin. "It's a really strong away performance where we've denied any real moments for Kettering, and we should have moved the game away from them midway through the second half with lots of good chances and opportunities.

"We hit the post and haven't quite got that second goal that would have killed the game, but the lads have worked their socks off today and have been fantastic for the club.”

Wilkin’s reflections on a team effort extended to the club’s followers, with over three hundred away supporters sharing the elation and despair.

“The support behind the goal was fantastic for us as well; there's real chemistry going on," he added. "The lads were lifted by that, and we've got to say a big thank you to all those travelling supporters. I’m just a little bit sorry that we haven't quite seen it over the line.”

A dry and bobbly pitch at Latimer Park meant both teams had to master their environment before they could set their sights on mastering one another. Kettering settled more quickly but posed little threat. They were stunned when Harry Hawkins earned a penalty kick on the stroke of half-time that Stenson blasted home.

From then on, the Bucks took control, and Wilkin felt his team grew stronger as the game progressed, but with one familiar weakness.

He said: “I think they had probably more of the ball in the in the first half, which you have to expect away from home to the league leaders; you have to expect that you won't have the ball quite as much as you want.

"The pitch doesn't make for a passing game, centre-halves were heading balls in the air far too many times, but that’s what you’re up against.

"The way our lads have adapted and got better and better as the game has gone on… we were far and away the dominant side in the second half and should have moved the game away from them, and didn't.”

The Bucks slipped to fourth in the table, with Kettering knocked off the top spot by wins for Halesowen Town and Bedford Town. The Black Country side now lead the division, setting up another potentially momentous meeting when the Bucks travel to Halesowen on Easter Monday.

Plenty of football remains to be played between then and now, and although their point was creditable, Wilkin acknowledged that with six games remaining, obtaining wins in those fixtures was imperative.

The Bucks’ boss feels that Saturday’s performance has set the level his side needs to be at to meet that challenge.

“There's lots and lots to be pleased about there," he concluded. "If they apply themselves in a similar way from now and the end of the season we're not going to be far away and that'll be the key.

"There are still some tough games to play, and the level of application, concentration, and focus that we showed today is exactly where it needs to be.”