AFC Telford United looking to back up win to move off bottom with Bradford PA victory

Victory would lift the Bucks off bottom spot – and away from the sole relegation place in this season’s National League North – for the first time in a couple of months.

Carden and Telford enjoyed lift-off last time out with the thumping 5-0 win over mid-table Darlington and tomorrow sees 17th-placed Bradford Park Avenue bring their improved recent form of back-to-back wins to the New Bucks Head.

But a successive win, to make it four in the league this season, can see Telford crucially climb above nearest rivals Farsley Celtic – and Carden believes the best way forward is another collective display.

“It’s been a massive lift for us, the lads have been in good spirits, they were after the game as you can imagine,” Carden said of his side’s reaction to the big win.

“But it’s one win, we have to look at it like that, but we have to take a lot of belief out of it going forward in the fact that we’ve shown what we can do.”

Carden, for whom defender Ross White (hip) is a fitness doubt, added: “I just felt in games gone by where we’d done OK we’ve had two maybe three good performers.

“But last Saturday it was difficult to pick a man-of-the-match and when you have a collective like that it’s very hard to stop a team.

“We must try to always have a bigger percentage of the team playing well in any game, that will always give you a chance to win.

“Confidence and form go hand-in-hand, so hopefully that’ll give the whole squad confidence to increase the levels moving forward and take us away from the bottom of the league.”

Both sides head into tomorrow’s clash high on confidence.

Mark Bower’s visitors have won twice in a week, including Tuesday’s stunning 3-0 away at York City, managed by former Shrewsbury boss John Askey, and last Saturday’s 2-1 success against Kettering Town – despite playing the final 15 minutes with nine men after two red cards.

“They had a fantastic win on Tuesday. I watched them play Gateshead a couple of weeks ago and they gave them a scare, they scored a couple of goals in five or 10 minutes, so we know they’re capable of getting goals,” Carden said of the visitors.

“To go and win at York was a great result, to win last weekend was a great result having the setback with two sendings off.

“So we know we’re in for a tough game against a side down the bottom of the league like ourselves, we’ve got to be on it, switched on, focused, doing all the work we usually do.

“We’ve got to try to back up last Saturday’s victory with another one.”

The Horsfall Stadium side climbed to 17th, nine points above the Bucks, with the impressive back-to-back victories.

“Look at Southport when I came in, they were level with us and now are comfortably in the play-offs in two months,” Carden said. “That’s what can be achieved when you get confidence and players in the team who understand the roles and a togetherness and never-say-die attitude.”