Hitchin v Telford: Kevin Wilkin calls for professional job at out-of-sorts Hitchin

The Bucks travel to Hitchin Town tomorrow afternoon, a side who have lost all 12 of the games they have played since Christmas Day in the Southern Central Premier.

And while three points may appear likely on paper, Telford boss Kevin Wilkin is desperate to see his side put in an efficient performance in Hertfordshire.

“We have to prepare in much the same way as we would against any opponent really,” the Telford boss explained. “Clearly some teams are in better form, some have strengths and weaknesses different from others, but fundamentally you prepare in the same way.”

He added: “It should almost be as though the opposition are faceless, you want to believe in what you’ve got to offer and what you’re going to do.

“It’s about doing the job and applying ourselves in the right manner. Of course we’re aware of their form, but I don’t think they get spanked every week, it’s not one of those.”

Wilkin is right. In fact, in only four of the 12 games that they have lost have Hitchin been beaten by a margin greater than one goal.

And the Telford manager admitted he holds a personal sympathy to former manager Mark Berg, who resigned from his role after 11 years in charge at Hitchin.

“Very often they’ve lost by the odd goal, and I know Mark Berg, he’s a friend of mine and he’s been there a very long time,” Wilkin said.

“You never like to see a manager struggle like that and get misfortune like that, and when we played them they were in fantastic form.”

He added: “Quite why that’s changed so drastically I couldn’t tell you; they might have lost certain players but on the face of it I don’t think that is the case.

“We’ll take no game for granted, Sudbury beat us the other day and we have to be respectful. Very often teams can be galvanised by the fact that they’re on a poor run and at some stage that has to change, and if you give any team any encouragement that will change.”

The Telford camp have also been warned by their manager not to go into the game fearing the possibility of being the team to break Hitchin’s long duck.

“In certain ways some players find it hard to deal with that possibility, and some players know how to deal with it,” he admitted.

“For some players, playing against that little nagging thought at the back of their mind that they don’t want to be the one to lose to this team for the first time in however long, it can get into people’s thoughts.

“We can’t allow that to happen if we want to be successful, you can use it as a driving factor to help you perform but you can’t let it be an excuse to not do well.”

Telford kick-off the clash sitting third in the table, with a seven-point gap over Stratford Town, who are one place outside the play-offs.