AFC Telford United 1 Alvechurch 0 - Report

Bucks finally claimed back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

They had much the better of the first half and were linking up well all over the field, but lacked a killer instinct. Jordan Piggott headed narrowly wide from a free-kick, the ball bouncing down and then wide.

The lead finally came in the 18th minute. More good Bucks movement and passing located captain for the evening Piggott, and with no one in green closing him down he leant back and almost casually bent a right-foot shot off the inside of Taylor’s left post to open the scoring.

Five minutes later, it could have been two; Remi Walker, on his 21st birthday, had the ball touched to him at a free-kick, and his swinging effort bent away from Foster’s goal, missing by a foot.

The second half was an altogether more nervy affair. The Bucks’ failure to put ‘Church to the sword in the first half almost returned to hurt them. They enjoyed plenty more possession but fewer efforts on goal, and the visitors sensed they could still get some reward.

The returning Monter Gibson did strike the inside of the post with a terrific shot, but they lacked the fluidity that had seen them so dominant early on.

Inspired by buccaneering wing-back Josh Dugmore, who had a disappointing spell with the Bucks last season, Alvechurch began to push hard into the last 20 minutes.

They missed a glaring opportunity when the steepling figure of defender Yaw Nantwi-Owusu was inexplicably lost by the home defence at a free-kick; he stole in behind them but, unmarked, put the ball over the crossbar.

The Bucks did try to respond, and Foster made two excellent saves to deny Styche, whose shot was heading for the top-left corner, and Piggott, whose own shot was creeping inside the base of the same post.

Wilkin held back his substitutions to try and break up the flow of the game in the dying stages, and after seven minutes of purgatory, the Bucks could celebrate a win, one that was much narrower than it should have been.