Gavin Cowan fires warning to AFC Telford players

They have now taken just two points from the last possible18 to increase scrutiny on manager Cowan and his team.The Bucks won praise for switching the fixture to Shropshire with only around 24 hours’ notice but could not make home advantage count and Cowan said after the final whistle: “It’s mixed emotions. No disrespect to Curzon, but it’s a home fixture we expect to win. Unfortunately, with the way the month’s gone for us, what with being fourth in the league a month ago but having a poor run of results, it’s almost a case of stopping the rot.”

Cowan’s team trailed 1-0 at half-time to one of the rare moments of quality from either side, with the Bucks looking disjointed, but the introduction of substitute Jason Oswell helped to change the tone, the striker levelling with a decisive finish from a corner in the 69th minute, and Cowan explained what made the change necessary:

He added: “We weren’t hurting the opposition enough; I thought we were tidy enough in possession, and they were quite happy to let us have it because we were no threat, so we needed more of a threat. If we’re not going to play through lines we have to go more back to front, and it paid dividends for us.”

Cowan acknowledged that his side had been “tentative” in the first half and hinted that some players were now playing for their futures:

“Unfortunately, the players that we’ve brought in, as brilliant as they are and as talented as they are, haven’t performed, and a bit of a line’s been drawn in the sand with regards to players who want to stay at this football club, they need to show what they showed in the second half.

“It’s got to be about players who want to fight for this football club; I think enough time’s gone now for players to settle in.

“The lads know that attitude and application is the minimum, or they’ll have to find another home to play their football.”