AFC Telford United battle back to claim a deserved share of spoils
In an archetypal game of two halves, Kevin Wilkin’s Bucks dug deep to recover from a two-goal deficit at the War Memorial Athletic Ground.
The Bucks were tepid in the first half and trailed after just nine minutes when Jack Fletcher drove home a shot from the edge of the box, arriving to meet Niall Flint’s low cross after a purposeful run.
The Glassboys have welcomed striker Luke Benbow to the club in the summer, and he doubled the advantage in the 26th minute. The Bucks were back-pedalling and when Benbow was located in the box he struck the ball past Brandon Hall, before running to celebrate with his young daughter in the crowd.
The Bucks tried to respond, and Charlie Price turned a Dinanga shot away; however, the hosts were generally happy to have the ball in between the penalty areas, content that they weren’t posing any threat.
The second half was a different story. In the 51st minute, they halved the deficit when defender Orrin Pendley scored his third goal of the season, lashing in a loose ball from close range after winning a header from a corner.
That lit the fuse, and the Bucks then dominated for 20 minutes or so. They had to cope with the loss of Jared Hodgkiss through injury, replaced by Brad Bood, and in the 64th minute, their pressure told.
A free-kick into the box again found Pendley; his contact wasn’t true, but the loose ball fell for Ricardo Dinanga and he drove the ball hard and low through Price and into the net.
Having restored parity, the Bucks could and perhaps should have won the contest. With Benbow isolated and frustrated, Wilkin’s team played with purpose and energy, but their momentum faded in the final 10 minutes.
The play went from end to end in seven minutes of time added on, but neither side could snatch a winner.
