An improved performance from AFC Telford

Well, that was a more positive and convincing performance from Telford writes Bucks blogger Dan Clark.

It would seem that the Chelmsford game gave us that much needed reality check. Sinton has done well by bringing in signings that he thinks will resolve the current dip and it is reassuring to see that we have a manager that goes out to get results, making changes and additions where needs be to see that we progress.

I was interested to see what impact the previous game would have in our first game back in the league against Mansfield. Sinton made big changes in midfield by introducing Ashley Cain and Jay Smith to accompany Richard Davies and Sean Newton. I felt that bringing Sean Newton back onto the left wing was a smart choice he was very effective in that position in the reverse fixture back in September.

The new signings did play well, Smith bringing a bit of league experience that we needed. He distributed the ball well, supporting the strikers sufficiently and also tracking back to help out defence. Cain showed promise that he is going to be a good winger for us, showing pieces of flair and passing balls that demonstrate why we were tracking him over the summer.

It was the first game in a while where I saw us truly have spells of mass domination. We played the ball well, passing like we did towards the beginning of the season. The lads seemed to have a bit more confidence about them, shown through the shot by Richard Davies that hit the crossbar, and some chances from Sharp.

After a positive first half, I felt a bit more confident that we were on the right track to improving our form. I just hoped that the lads didn't sit back in the second half like previous games and try and soak up any threats.

The lads didn't disappoint. They came out and played as well as they did in the first half. Mansfield did have spells of pressure, but we seemed to adequately deal with them. Their strikers did seem dead on their feet, not showing much interest and that worked to our advantage. It was brilliant to see the Telford midfield linking up well with the attack and defence, something we had been lacking in previous games.

The introduction of Steve Jones late in the second half gave the fans a glimpse of our new addition to the strike force. For a thirty-five year old man, he still has a brilliant work rate and some pace as well, playing some smart balls to create chances late on which show he will provide adequate cover for injuries.

We did deserve to win it, but a draw is a brilliant starting block for us to build on. The most positive aspect to come from the game was definitely our confidence. We looked a completely different side and that will improve with time. I just hope now that our bad form is now in the past and that the Bucks can start pushing themselves up the table, especially if the lads continue with performances like that.