Rob Edwards wants AFC Telford to be ruthless after win

The home side had Mason Warren dismissed early in the second half, but it took until 12 minutes from time for the Bucks to make the game safe, Elliot Newby adding to Jordan Lussey’s first-half opener.

The win propelled the Bucks up to 11th in the National League North, and Edwards praised his side’s approach. “We were professional, our attitude was very good, and that’s what I asked of them before the game.”

Lussey capped his return to the side with a goal on the stroke of half-time, rewarding his side’s enterprise after they’d repelled Ferriby’s early pressure, which pleased Edwards.

“In the first half, we grew into it, which away from home is good, it’s what you need to do. The second half performance was very good, the only criticism is that we weren’t a little bit more ruthless, especially when they went down to ten men. “We could have put them to the sword but were a little bit wasteful in front of goal.”

That dismissal came in a crazy five-minute spell where the Bucks’ Connor Johnson had claims for a goal denied, instead being awarded a penalty and seeing Ferriby reduced to ten. Home keeper Ross Durrant saved captain John Marsden’s penalty, with Newby’s goal from the rebound disallowed, leaving most in the stadium baffled.

Newby later confirmed it had been ruled out for encroachment, and although the Bucks had chances, Edwards felt a lack of killer instinct was missing, but overall he was satisfied.

“The attitude was spot on, we’re trying to do the right things. I can’t ask for any more.”

Lussey won a starting place over Henry Cowans, a move that may have surprised some, bus as Edwards explained; “That’s what we need. Whoever we put in at the moment we’re more than confident they can do a job. We want freshness (in the team), Tuesday is another long trip and it’s going to take that squad’”

Tuesday is a trip to Lincolnshire to face Gainsborough Trinity, and one possible setback was an injury on Saturday to stand-in skipper John Marsden, the former Shrewsbury and Stockport man taking a knock late on.

“We’ll assess him and see how he is, hopefully he’ll be OK. John’s been different class for us, with his work-rate and quality, so fingers crossed he’s OK.”