Analysis: AFC Telford's trophy tussle proves real ding dong battle

After back-to-back defeats, this game presented the Bucks with a tricky task as visitors Farsley Celtic were bang in form and could smell a potential cup upset.

As it was, the Bucks managed to just about book their place in the hat for the next round, but they certainly made hard work of it.

Gavin Cowan opted for just the two changes, with Steph Morley returning from a ban and Andre Brown being given a chance to stake a claim for a starting place.

The swirling wind and driving rain made it difficult for both sides, but early on they were both trying to play some decent stuff.

Farsley, who are third in the Northern Premier League, showed early on they were more than a match for the Bucks.

Nathan Cartman fired inches wide after Theo Streete lost possession, and Andy Wycherley made a top save to keep a James Spencer effort out.

Morley had called the visiting keeper into action at the other end, but the first real chance came on the half-hour and Telford, who have wasted golden opportunities at times this season, took it.

Shane Sutton headed a cross from the right back into the mix and Daniel Udoh needed no invitation from six yards as he poked the ball home.

Just as it seemed AFC Telford were starting to get a grip of the game, the visitors levelled with almost the last kick of the first period.

After Wycherley had again produced two super stops to deny the front two of Spencer and Cartman, the latter found space from a corner and prodded the ball home from a Daniel Ellis header.

There was a sense there would be more goals, due to the open nature of the first half.

Cartman spurned a chance for the visitors early in the second period, before Ryan Barnett fully announced himself to the New Bucks Head faithful with a stunner on the hour mark.

Ellis Deeney found the on-loan youngster in space and he rifled a low drive into the corner from 25 yards.

And when substitute Jon Royle stroked the ball home from the edge of the box with one of his first touches, the Bucks could be forgiven for thinking that was game, set and match.

Celtic had other ideas though and within two minutes they were level thanks to a Jack Dyche header.

By this point it was a proper cup tie, end to end, with the underdogs pushing for an equaliser and the hosts just looking to finish the job.

The pendulum swung back in the Bucks’ favour on 82 minutes as Barnett’s deflected cross fell to Cowans, who lashed in a fourth.

Game over? Not on Celtic’s watch as they came back for a third time in the game. After Matthew Barnes-Homer had seen an effort come back of the bar, a cross in from the right dropped for substitute Dyche, whose header looped up and over Wycherley.

Luckily for the Bucks there was to be no more late drama as they survived a couple of late scrambles.

Cowan’s charges answered his call to be clinical and take chances, but defensively they were carved open far too easily at times.

However, that made for a thoroughly entertaining cup-tie.