Dennis Greene keen to see further sign of AFC Telford progression

The Bucks stopped the rot of six defeats on the spin with a home success over Farsley Celtic last weekend, which was a first victory in nine games.

That win lifted them up three places from second-bottom to 18th in National League North. And, indeed, it is tomorrow’s out-of-sort hosts Gloucester, themselves winless in seven games including six defeats and having already made a managerial change this term, who slipped to second-bottom.

Former Boston chief Greene feels he has seen Telford improve in each of his three games in temporary charge. While the search for a permanent manager goes on at the New Bucks Head, Greene insists he can only work on a day-to-day basis and has heard nothing about a potential appointment.

And he will be happy, so long as Telford continue showing signs of progression. The Bucks can move as high as 12th with a win tomorrow, although goal difference would render that unlikely.

“You need to get that win when you haven’t won for six (league) games, to get a win and a clean sheet is really good,” Greene said.

“But we’ve got to build on that. Every game we’ve been more dominant, 25 minutes at Spennymoor in the second half then 45 minutes to an hour against Boston. I’d say we bossed pretty much most of it against Farsley.

“If we can keep that progression, keep playing as we have been, then we’ll give it a go.”

The end of Gavin Cowan’s Bucks tenure had brought a tough, winless run for Telford and the interim boss reckons getting over the line with a healthy cushion and clean sheet last time out will do the team the world of good.

He added: “You’ve got to get that win over the line, the problem is if you don’t have a cushion and are winning 1-0, mentally you drop deeper, get a bit panicky. As a manager you try to keep them up the pitch but they try to protect what they’ve got and invite chances.

“Last week they had late chances, but we had a two-goal cushion. Once you see a game through then you get more confidence.”

“I threw my Jurgen Klopp in, didn’t I? My three-fist salute,” Greene smiled eluding to his celebrations. “The fans enjoyed it, yeah, they were pretty happy, we had a good go of it second half, to get a clean sheet and a couple of goals sent everybody home happy.”

Full-back Arlen Birch is set to miss out at Gloucester with a persistent heel injury that was being managed game-to-game prior to Greene’s appointment. Brendon Daniels is the only other long-term absentee.

Greene, who is set to sign another loan midfielder ahead of the clash, said of lowly Gloucester: “It looks that way in the table but I’m a bit long in the tooth for that. Anybody can beat you in this league if you aren’t on it.”