Telford v Brackley: Paul Carden has to find wins to ease growing pressure
AFC Telford United manager Paul Carden knows he is into territory where wins are vital in easing pressure at the New Bucks Head.
The Bucks are winless in eight National League North attempts, and nine including an FA Cup debacle, ahead of tonight’s visit of Brackley Town.
Carden, though, came away from Saturday’s 2-1 home reverse against fellow strugglers Boston United with some confidence given how he felt his side performed against the Pilgrims, improved on what went before it against Gloucester and Chasetown.
Telford supporters are growing increasingly frustrated at a lack of goals and wins and concerned for their side’s early plight – given there are four relegation places from National North this term, rather than just a single one last season.
The second-bottom Bucks host Brackley, managed by the experienced Kevin Wilkin, tonight. The Saints are down in 11th after four wins from their opening nine games and smarting from a 1-0 defeat to Alfreton last time out.
“It’s another team in the play-offs last season, Kev’s an experienced manager at this level and knows how to put a good side together and grind out results,” Carden said. “They were kind of famous for it last season, the 1-0s they got.
“But if the lads apply themselves and work as hard as they did on Saturday we’ll turn this sooner rather than later.”
Telford scuppered their chances of a return to winning ways against Boston with a three-minute collapse on the hour to fall 2-0 behind.
They did rally, however, to pull one back from the penalty spot but could not force an equaliser. Home fans sounded their disapproval during the game and half-time and full-time.
“You’ve got lads out there who want to do the right things and are trying to do the right things and sometimes form affects your contact on the ball and what you do, because sport is about confidence,” Carden said of how his side performed.
“Those little things that make the difference are just away from us because of confidence, but I couldn’t fault anyone’s effort and application, everyone was at it. The lads have had a right today.”
The manager added: “We keep working, that’s the only thing you do in this situation. I’ve told them to dust themselves down, recover right, and get ready, because if we work as hard as we did today, I don’t think we’ll be on the end of too many defeats with what we’ve got, because confidence will grow.”
The Bucks’ loan youngster George Burroughs, the Coventry defender who turned 20 last week, is likely to miss out this evening after he broke his nose against the Pilgrims.
He collided with team-mate Liam Nolan, who eventually netted Telford’s consolation from the spot, and left the field to a blooded nose.
Harry Flowers, who had been dropped, was his replacement and was caught with an error for Boston’s second.
