Pictures and analysis of Braintree 3 AFC Telford 2

When AFC Telford United hammered promotion-chasing Dartford 4-1 October, a play-off place did not look out of the question come the end of the season.

Just over three months later, a return to the second tier of non-league football looks a worrying possibility.

Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Braintree Town extended the Bucks' winless run in the Blue Square Premier to 13 games, one short of the 'club' record set by the Bucks' ancestor Wellington Town in 1913-14.

It kept them in the relegation zone by a point, having played up to two games more than virtually all of their nearest rivals.

With 19 games left to play, relegation remains as likely at this moment in time as a play-off place was following their last league win, on October 9.

But the weekend's trip to the Amlin Stadium represented the latest in a shrinking number of chances for Andy Sinton's side to begin pulling themselves out of the mire at the expense of their relegation rivals.

As was the case in similar games against fellow strugglers Southport and Stockport, which yielded just one point, the Bucks did not perform atrociously throughout.

In fact their attack looked far more threatening than it had done for several games.

But the dismal run they are on, and their failure to pick up points against the sides in and a round them, meant that the result was the only thing that really mattered.

And that now looks likely to be the case from here on in until the end of the season. The Bucks went into the game having drawn encouragement from a battling performance at Hereford United in midweek.

And when Steve Jones stung Nathan McDonald's fingertips in the third minute, it suggested Telford could build on that. But, as had been the case so often this season, Telford fell behind early on, and from a set piece.

The Iron won three successive corner kicks and from the third, top-scorer Sean Marks tapped home from close range after Matt Paine's header came off the woodwork.

It was a major blow but Telford responded well with Steven Leslie going close to an equaliser twice in quick succession.

The winger first struck the post with a fierce drive after Nathan Rooney's free-kick had bounced back off the wall.

And the same player then forced a close-range save from McDonald after great work from Nathan Rooney and James Spray to set him up.

But the Bucks were lucky not to find themselves 2-0 down after just 20 minutes, when Marks fired wide from a one-on-one position.

On an awful pitch, and in freezing conditions, the Bucks looked to be settling relatively well as the half drew to a close.

However, they conceded within six minutes of the restart when Luke Daley nodded home from Dan Holman's cross.

Holman had burst into the box, forcing a save from Ryan Young but the Bucks were unable to clear the danger and the striker somehow managed to cross the ball, giving Daley an easy header at the far post.

With another morale-sapping defeat staring them in the face, Sinton rung the changes, and the introduction of Jake Reid and Kieron St Aimie, for Spray and Leslie, did give them some extra physicality and pace up front.

The two substitutes combined well to set up Jones, who struck the bar with a superb outside-of-the-foot shot inside the box.

But Nathan Rooney provided the vital spark needed in spectacular fashion with a brilliant 30-yard lob over the back-peddling McDonald.

It was a reminder of the heights this team is capable of reaching, but also the type of quality which has too often been missing in recent games.

But another error at a crucial time curtailed thoughts of a comeback when Phil Trainer brought down substitute Bradley Dack in the box with 10 minutes remaining.

That allowed Kenny Davis to restore his side's two-goal cushion from the penalty spot. Nathan Rooney did find another moment of inspiration, firing in a 25-yard free-kick three minutes into stoppage time.

But the Bucks were again left with nothing to show for a spirited if unspectacular performance due to a handful of very costly errors. There is time to save the season, but the rest of January could become make or break.

xtra quality is urgently needed and a run of three straight home games in the next 10 days will also carry excruciating pressure.

By Matthew Viney