Whitchurch Alport 1-2 AFC Telford United - Report

Brendon Daniels' penalty and a slid finish from Devarn Green put the Bucks 2-0 up in the opening minutes of the second period at Alport's KMJ Mortgages Stadium.

But Alport managed the goal they deserved late on through substitute Joe Flory and could have snuck a late equaliser. Paul Carden's Telford, however were decent value for the win as some new and familiar faces caught the eye in roasting conditions in north Shropshire.

Just four of the visitors' starters completed 90 minutes in a second half broken up by the volume of changes late on.

Sterner tests are ahead for the Bucks, at home to neighbours Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday and then Walsall next Saturday, but a competitive clash at Alport blew out the cobwebs.

Carden named two of his four new signings in the starting line-up, with defender Matty Brown and frontman Nathan Blissett both in from the off. Both impressed as they continue to settle into a new group.

Whereas last Tuesday, where the Bucks started with three trialists in their line-up at fellow Midland Premier outfit Market Drayton which ended 0-0, there was just one trialist in the visitors' XI.

Fellow signing Josh Dugmore, from Bromsgrove Sporting, was still away on holiday and midfielder Prince Ekpolo began on the bench.

Jason Oswell missed out through a calf injury, but was in attendance. Carden made his first substitutions around the hour mark.

Alport named some new recruits of their own, including Arleston-born goalkeeper Ash Rawlins, formerly of Telford and Market Drayton, and ex-Shrewsbury Town academy graduate midfielder James Rowland. The hosts were missing a number of first-team players due to prior commitments.

It was Luke Goddard's hard-working Whitchurch side, of three divisions below their visitors, with the first effort at goal as Sam Yeardley tested Luke Pilling from a narrow angle with a decent strike. Pilling made the save at his near post.

Telford's unnamed trialist, who also played at Drayton, looked sharp as an attacking midfielder in Telford's 'No.10' role. He was extremely bright in the first 20 minutes, with some nimble, fleet-footed attacking play and two efforts from distance, both off target.

Midfielder Liam Nolan came close to a Telford breakthrough inside 10 minutes, but his drilled strike following pinball from a corner was blocked by one of several bodies near the goalline.

Telford got away with one shortly after when it appeared Pilling caught Alport's Moldovan attacker Ivan Urvantev, but strong penalty appeals were dismissed.

A drinks break just prior to the half hour mark in the Shropshire heat preceded a couple of minutes of feisty action as the tackles flew in. Whitchurch's Sean Griffiths received a rare summer caution for a late tackle on Bucks' Byron Moore.

The game was played against the audible backdrop of new signing Brown's demands. The former York promotion-winning skipper talked and ordered all his colleagues throughout the contest.

Giant striker Blissett, who stands at 6ft 5ins, caught the eye in an impressive first half and showed on several occasions he is more than a powerful target with some excellent technique and combination play.

His clever backheel fed Moore on the right and the former Crewe wideman's cross to the back post was cushioned by opposite wing-back Daniels into the path of Robbie Evans who fired over when well-placed to do better. It was a quality move from the National North side.

Devarn Green and Blissett, Telford's forward pair from the off, fired off target as Carden's men turned the screw. Blissett smashed into the empty net before half-time after a flicked header and return pass from Green, but the offside flag was up.

The sides went in level at half-time, but the second half had scarcely got under way by the time the breakthrough came.

Protestations were few and far between but Telford's opener looked controversial as defender Kielahn Annikey was ruled to have pulled Green back when through on goal.

Daniels picked up the ball and made no mistake, with an excellent spot-kick into the left corner well beyond Rawlins.

Within barely more than a minute Telford had a second - and a well-worked one at that.

Blissett picked out a good pass to release the trialist down the right. His first-time cross was on a plate for Green who slid in at the back post and couldn't miss.

Former Shrewsbury youngster Rowland, once a well thought of product at Montgomery Waters Meadow, almost lit up the friendly with a fine curling strike from distance, which drew an equally impressive flying save from Pilling.

The keeper recovered from the following corner to save Griffiths' scrambled effort.

Changes either side of the hour mark for both sides took the sting out of the contest. Telford introduced a couple of youngsters and two more trialists, one in midfield and one in goal.

One of the youngsters, academy graduate forward Callum Knowles, had a decent strike tipped around the post while another, Jez Abbey, skewed off target.

Alport grabbed a deserved late goal through young substitute Flory, who hammered in after a free-kick from the right went uncleared.

Fellow substitute Dan Skelton might have grabbed a stoppage time equaliser but his strike flew across goal from distance.