Preview: No place to hide – AFC Telford have to get over the line
AFC Telford United have been in existence for 18 years since their re-birth back in 2004 – and tomorrow’s clash with York City is arguably the biggest since that reformation date.
Paul Carden’s men are just 90 minutes from survival in the National League North – but they are also 90 minutes from slipping down to the third tier of non-league football for the first time since 2007.
That, as many at the New Bucks Head will know, would be a disaster.
But it is a distinct possibility with Telford going into tomorrow’s crunch home clash with York just one point clear of Guiseley, who face a trip Alfreton.
Many Bucks fans will be asking, how has it all come to this? And they have every right to ask that question.
But for the time being, it is not about investigations, probes into what has gone wrong in a season that began with some optimism.
It is about getting a job done. They have to, by any means necessary.
They have leaders in there and they have players capable of stepping up, leading the way.
Jason Oswell took the armband in recent games, he has scored countless goals at this level – and what Carden couldn’t give for a couple from his frontman tomorrow.
Robbie Evans is a vastly experienced player at this level and the Bucks will need all that experience to get them over the line on Saturday.
Carl Baker, another with bucket loads of experience at this level, along with others in there who have hundreds of EFL games under their belts.
When you put it like that, it is hard to understand why the Bucks are where they are going into the last day.
But by any means necessary they need to get a result tomorrow. Look after themselves and they are sorted. Don’t worry about what is going on elsewhere.
That will be the message from Carden, someone who has kept a cool head despite the difficult campaign both he and the Bucks have had so far.
When teams get relegated from the Premier League – the pundits talk about how tough a league the Championship is to get out of.
And the same applies when going from the National League North down to the Northern Premier League.
The money in non-league’s third tier, surprisingly, has been growing in recent years. There are some big sides down there, with big budgets and it is highly competitive.
If Telford do fall through the trap door, it will be a disaster and it could be difficult to come straight back.
Saturday will go down in the Bucks’ history whichever way the game goes. It is up there with the first promotion under Bernard McNally, and promotion to the Conference Premier under Liam Watson.
But there is more riding on this. They have to get it right – they have to get over the line.
