There’s more in the tank vows AFC Telford United man Brendon Daniels

The Bucks fans’ favourite and wideman is back playing on a consistent basis for the first time since before the pandemic, which halted his own player of the season campaign, writes Rich Worton.

Daniels, 28, has endured a couple of horror muscle injuries since and missed around 14 months of football for Telford. It is fair to say they missed him.

The left-sider has rattled in six goals in nine games since returning to starter’s orders, including the memorable late brace at Leamington just after Christmas that may well have turned the Bucks’ season around.

Paul Carden lines up against his good friend and former Telford manager Liam Watson as sixth-placed Southport visit the New Bucks Head for tonight’s rearranged clash.

Daniels, who fought back to fitness at the national team’s St George’s Park HQ as a Professional Footballers’ Association member, is delighted to be back, but stresses there is more to come.

“I was out for about 14 months in total. I came back and played a few games in pre-season, I was just trying to find my feet after the previous injury and then it happened again, in the second game, against Blyth,” recalled Daniels. “It was a difficult time, but I’m getting back. I’d say I’m at about 70 per cent, I need to get that match fitness, Saturday (at Curzon) was another bonus for me, as it was the first 90 minutes I’d had in a long time.

“It (the busy schedule) is going to be Saturday-Tuesday, so it was good for me to get the 90 minutes and then it’s about being ready to go again tonight.”

The visit of promotion-chasing Southport poses an interesting match up. Carden’s close ally Watson had resurrected his side’s season, taking Port from the lower reaches to the play-offs in a phenomenal unbeaten couple of months.

But 2-1 and 5-0 defeats in the last two games, away at Kettering and most recently Chester on Saturday, have stunted progress.