AFC Telford United boss Paul Carden expecting full concentration against Guiseley

The Bucks were dramatically undone in the closing stages of their FA Trophy exit at Stourbridge, of the division below, on Saturday and Carden – for whom this evening is a second league game in charge – was extremely frustrated with what he witnessed late on.

Telford have won, drawn and lost from Carden’s first three games in charge – but two have been in the Trophy – in a broken first few weeks in charge. Today’s clash marks exactly a month in the hotseat and the Bucks are yet to have been given the chance to build some much-needed momentum in the league. Although tonight’s rescheduled clash against third-bottom Guiseley hands the rock-bottom Bucks a priceless opportunity to climb two places with a win.

Reflecting on a late sucker-punch at step three Stourbridge on Saturday, Carden said: “When we went in front for the second time, I thought we would have enough to see the game out, have enough experience on the pitch to do the right things in the right areas, but I was proved wrong, unfortunately. There were some good performances, which were undone by lapses in concentration, which were costly.”

A lack of concentration and organisation also cost Telford in their only league game under Carden until now. Except the 2-2 draw against Kettering played out in the opposite manner, as the new boss found his side 2-0 down after a despondent first half.

“For whatever reason, at times that concentrated effort is lacking. That’s what makes good players, and it’s what makes average players, if you have that concentrated effort for 95 minutes, then you see the game out,” Carden said.

“I’d like us to have more control of the game, which we didn’t have, but there are games where you just have to see it out, by doing the right things in the right areas, and not allowing your opponents to come onto you.”

Yorkshire visitors Guiseley have won just once in nine league games. They were not in action over the weekend and were awarded a bye in the FA Trophy after hosts Chesterfield were subject to a Covid outbreak.