Sluggish AFC Telford United needed to play smarter in away loss

However, along with their sluggishness, the Bucks boss lamented his team’s ability to adapt as the key reason for their loss.

He said: “It’s a real slow start from us, isn’t it? I think players haven’t recognised... you know, we talked about the surface and how you have to play on that surface, and we were totally alien from what we set out in the changing room before the start of the game.

“We’re trying to pass and play a game that we can play at home, and it wasn’t a surface that allowed that to happen.”

Redditch’s 3G pitch presented a challenge in itself, but the hosts were much hungrier than the Bucks.

They led within a minute when John Johnston stroked the ball home after Brandon Hall had saved Jaiden White’s initial shot, adding to a catalogue of early goals conceded by the Bucks this campaign.

Wilkin felt the pitch played a role but laid the responsibility with his team, suggesting they had forgotten the game plan given to them.

He also felt they hadn’t heeded warnings given to them about the way that Redditch, managed by former Premier League champion Tim Flowers, would go about their business:

“We’re loose with the ball to start off with and put ourselves on the back foot by conceding so early,” added Wilkin. “It has happened too many times this season. We’ve not been sharp enough. Credit to Redditch, who kept coming at us and knew how to work the surface well, and we really struggled.

“We’re trying to pass from the back and it just allowed Redditch to keep getting in our face and make life really difficult for us.”

The Bucks had been urged to play Redditch at their own game, but they frequently failed by not taking the more simple option, as Wilkin explained: “Once we started to be a bit more direct and put the ball in behind then, there were several moments in the first period where the ball’s gone behind, and the goalie has had to come out and make last-ditch moments where I think, had we been a little bit sharper, we could have gone and possibly scored.

“At half time, we were able to get into them and just say that we just need to put the ball in good areas, not over-complicate our game and try to play our football in their final third, and when they did that... our corner count in the first half (compared) to second-half and moments and around their penalty, we were getting a head of steam up there, but we’re chasing the game when they score their second goal.”

The Bucks would probably have had another word for Marvellous Onabirehkanlen’s goal that clinched the points, with the forward appearing to be offside when racing clear to bury the ball past Hall.

Telford heads dropped a little, and a lack of pressure on the ball allowed White to make it three. Matty Stenson grabbed a late consolation goal in injury time, stabbing the ball in from a corner.

Although Wilkin wouldn’t have read too much into it, a victory would have taken the Bucks to the top of the table for at least 24 hours with most Southern Central Premier teams playing on Tuesday evening.