Chorley v AFC Telford - Match preview

The end-of-season run-in kicks into gear this weekend, with the majority of National League North beginning their final four fixtures across the last three weekends of the campaign.

As it has been for the entirety of the campaign, Telford’s position near the foot of the table is perilous, just three points clear of the single relegation spot.

Carden’s men find themselves second-bottom following their most recent outing, the 1-0 Good Friday defeat at Hereford, which extended the club’s miserable winless run on the road.

That defeat ended an unbeaten run of six games, which looked to have played a big role in lifting the Bucks clear of immediate relegation fears.

But, heading into tomorrow’s Victory Park contest at fifth-placed Chorley – the start of a fairly daunting final four games – there remains serious work to do.

“It’s exactly what we need, we need the reaction,” Carden said of what he is looking for against the Magpies after his frustration last time out.

“We need the lads to do what they’ve been doing prior to Hereford – and that’s being a good team.

“There’s a good team there – I keep saying it – because there is.

“Results in the last five or six weeks have certainly proved there’s a good team there, whether it be at home or on the road.

“We’ve played well at times, we’ve shown resilience, never say die, never give up. It was there last Friday, to a degree, and we must have it back.”

Chorley, under long-serving former Telford favourite Jamie Vermiglio, look unlikely to breach the seven-point gap to Kidderminster Harriers directly above them.

Tomorrow’s hosts are winless in four, and following back-to-back defeats to Curzon and Alfreton, have a five-point cushion between themselves and the pack chasing the play-off positions.

“We must get back to the ways and levels (or before),” Carden added. “The games are tight.

“It’s important to always stay in the game and give yourselves every chance.

“When you look across our results, they’ve been tight – in a lot of the games you come away and think ‘we’ve been the better team’.

“Even defeats, I go back to Brackley away (2-1 defeat), we were the better team. The result was tight.

“We need to get positive again. Lads have to play to their strengths, we have to encourage them to do that as staff.

“We will do as much as we can in the preparation, in terms of how Chorley play, what their strengths are set-piece wise, and their weaknesses we can exploit.

“I know Jamie (Vermiglio) and Preecey (Andy Preece) at Chorley are very diligent in their work and will be doing the same. We have to go head on there.”

Telford have selection issues to take care of. Centre-back duo Harry Flowers (suspended) and Jordan Piggott (ankle) are missing, with one of Zak Lilly, Ross White or Theo Streete possibly set for a recall.