Berkhamsted v Telford preview: Bucks’ selection problems far from ideal for Wilkin
Injury-hit AFC Telford United will be down to ‘bare bones’ for their trip to Southern Central Premier strugglers Berkhamsted.
Right-back Ellis Myles and centre-back Orrin Pendley will be missing through suspension, while Fraser Kerr, Twariq Yusuf, Byron Moore and Reece Styche are all unlikely to feature.
The Bucks have four wins from their last five games, but boss Kevin Wilkin has admitted his concern ahead of what could be a tough weekend.
“It looks as though we’re going to have six players out which is really going to stretch us,” he said. “It bothers me because we’re in good form and unless something drastic happens we’ll be very stretched.
“We’re looking at this as a game that we want to go and win, but the circumstances are far from ideal.”
On paper, the visitors are heavy favourites for this game.
Wilkin’s side are in great form and are up against a side that have not won in the league since the opening day. But despite being separated by 16 league places the Bucks boss is taking nothing for granted given the issues his side are facing.
“Although Berkhamsted are struggling league position wise it’ll be anything but an easy game there’s no doubt,” Wilkin said. “Having watched them at Needham Market it didn’t look like they were short on confidence, there was still plenty of desire to do well.”
He continued: “They perhaps have struggled for consistency but from what I saw nearly every player they have is capable of producing moments.
“If they end up piecing things all together they won’t be easy to overcome.”
This weekend will be the first time since Telford’s upturn in form that Wilkin will have to change his winning formula. And he admitted there is some concern about whether or not the fringe players will be able to perform to similar levels.
“It’ll be a far-removed side from the side that played last Saturday,” Wilkin said. “Continuity is a big thing and for the last four games I’ve been able to pick the same 16-man squad. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that that has a positive impact on how the team grows and learns about one another. All of a sudden when you have to throw two, three, four new players into the mix and it changes the dynamic.”
One player expected to step into the starting 11 is 18-year-old winger Ty Webster, who has hardly played since making two errors against Stourbridge that left Telford 2-0 down.
And his manager is hopeful that having spent the last few weeks on the bench, Webster will have learned some important lessons.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, Ty or anybody, it’s about playing to a good, consistent level and not making glaring errors,” Wilkin said. “He’s a young man learning his trade and hopefully after having a step back from the team he’s seen the level of consistency that we want from him.”
