Telford boss offers up no excuses after loss
AFC Telford United boss Kevin Wilkin believes Orrin Pendley’s untimely injury should not be used as an excuse for Leamington’s play-off final winning goal.
The only goal of the game, which came 20 minutes from time, was scored from a corner kick that was poorly defended by the Bucks, who were without influential defender Pendley after the centre-back left the field temporarily due to injury.
The Bucks huffed and puffed but were unable to find an equaliser, leaving Wilkin frustrated at his side’s lapse in concentration.
“Looking at the goal there were too many people on the back foot again, and that was symptomatic of where we were,” he said. “We didn’t clear it well enough to begin with and we should have taken control of the moment there and then.”
Wilkin added: “When we don’t, and we allow them to put the ball back on us, that goal that divided us is really difficult to take.
“That said, I can’t deny that I felt Leamington were better than us.”
The Bucks boss turned to Matty Stenson to try and get his side the all-important goal, but was unable to bring on experienced winger Byron Moore, who missed out due to an injury to his calf.
“We wanted two strikers on there to try and carry the threat to them, and Stenno has been in really good form,” Wilkin explained. “Kyle (Storer) wasn’t allowed to play in the manner that we know he’s capable of and he had a difficult time of it, so we tried to go and take the game to them.
“It hasn’t quite happened for us, and we were a bit limited with where we could go with Byron not being available.”
