First game of the month was against 9th place Cheltenham who is chasing for a play-off place. We took control of things early on and went ahead in 27th minute when a cross from James Lawrie hit their defender but the ball fell to the path of loanee Ross Barkley who angled a shot to the bottom corner. Disappointingly they equalized two minutes later with a well taken shot at the edge of the box. We couldn’t extend the lead and it was 1-1 in the first half. Second half saw us increased the tempo and we scored two goals in three minutes with James Lawrie hitting a brace. They pull another goal back in 68th minute to make it 2-3. Ross Barkley wouldn’t want to see that though as he made a good run to score his second goal one minute later. They still have time to reduce the score in 76th minute. They did well in taking their chances. There was still time for them to claim the equalizer but we held on for the win.

We made it. 20 points ahead of 4th place Grimsby with six games left, we will be playing League 1 football next season. Now the challenge is to win the title.

The fans and board were ecstatic with the promotion. Though the praise was directed at me but the players deserved the most credit for the achievement.

I won’t be showing the games in detail. We had a vital meeting with Hartlepool after claiming promotion and Greg Mills and Ismael Fonfana scored to give us the win. We are leading them by 10 points now. Thinking the job is done, the players then put up a poor performance for the next four games losing two and draw two. Luckily for us Hartlepool couldn’t capitalize our poor form as they were running a patchy form too.

We managed to win the league 2 title with one game to go. Hartlepool was having a poor run of form and 10 points lead was too much for them. It was a good reward for Telford as we have now claim three titles in a row. It was another round of praise from the fans and the board and i just want to thank them for their support.

Last game of the season was against Rushden. This was the most surprising match ever since i took charge of Telford. Rushden took the lead as early as 6th minute. Young striker Sam Whittall whose chances is limited under me showed me what he is made of. He went into a crazy scoring run, hitting the net five times under fourteen minutes. I should have given him more playing time. Next season he will get more chances from me.

This is the final table position. Telford, Hartlepool and Bradford won automatic promotion to League 1. 6th place Chesterfield upset the odds to beat Grimsby in the play-off final. There was agony for Aldershot and Bury as they were relegated to BSP.

The loanees had returned to their respective clubs. Not many players stand out except for Oliver Nicholas. He is also the fans player of the year. A number of the players will not be retain for next season as they don’t seem to have the quality to play in league 1.

I won the Manager of the Year award for this season.  Next season will be tough as the quality will be higher. We will be facing some strong teams like Watford, Sheff Utd and Portsmouth who were relegated from the Championship. Things are going in the right direction in Telford. The city is excited that we will plying our trade in League 1. We will take a break and it’s back to business as usual for pre-season activities. Thanks for following and reading this update and see you soon in my League 1 pre-season report.

Not too bad, we won convincingly against Bury and Rochdale but Bradford gave us a really good fight which ended in a draw. Walsall ended our unbeaten run winning by a solitary goal.

Gigg Lane was a difficult ground to play in even though they are lying in 23rd place. Thomas Hitchcock broke the previous record of fastest goal scored when he hit a fierce shot fifteen seconds into the game. Bury played better than us at times but we doubled our lead one minute before half time when Ross Barkley got his debut goal with a shot to the top corner. Bury pulled a goal back after the break with an outstanding goal. We were clinical today and Ross Barkley had a great outing. He provided a through pass in 69th minute for James Lawrie to score our third goal to complete the win.

We welcome 8th place Walsall to New Bucks Head. They are chasing for a play-off place and was a difficult opponent. We had lots of chances 18 in total but sadly only three were on target. They scored a close range goal three minutes from half time to condemn us to defeat in twelve games.

Next was a meeting against 3rd place Bradford. They were having a good run of games. We took the lead early when a cross from James Lawrie found Greg Mills who headed the ball to the top corner. We failed to track the run of their player and conceded a goal in 25th minute. A Oliver Nicholas header saw us went ahead one more time and leading 2-1 in the first half. Bradford took their chances really well. With their second shot on target, a glancing head saw them level the scores again. Both teams were wasteful in front of goal and the game ended in a draw.

Last game of the month saw us facing 15th place Rochdale. We embarrassed Rochdale in their own turf. Thomas Hitchcock had a magnificent game hitting a hat trick in similar position when he faced one on one with the goalkeeper. Oliver Nicholas scored a brace with his head from corners. The other goal was scored by Jody Morris who made a good run inside the 6 yards box. Soon after his goal, he had to be replaced as he suffered an injury. The injury was not serious as he will only be out for few days.

The table at the top seven team looks as above after 35 games. We have a game in hand and lead 2nd place Hartlepool by three points. We are fourteen points ahead of 4th place Grimsby and looking good for promotion. We swept the players award with Oliver Nicholas and Thomas Hitchcock awarded player and young player of the month for February. Lets now proceed to the results in March.

First game in March was against 19th place Shrewsbury. They took a lead in 19th minute after Sean Howarth failed to clear a long ball. Thomas Hitchcock scored a sensational goal after he brought the ball for half the field to hit a low shot past the goalkeeper. We failed to convert any of the chances after that and the game ended as a draw.

We travel to Kenilworth road to face 12th place Luton. This was an exciting game with both teams playing attacking football. There was lots of chances created. A free kick saw Oliver Nicholas headed us in front in 21st minute. Soon they equalized in 38th minute due to a mis-clearance by Daniel Johnson. It was 1-1 in the first 45 minutes. Jody Morris made a good run five minutes after the break, deliver a good cross for Berkan Cakir to strike the ball on goal. It was saved but Thomas Hitchcock was there to turn in the rebound. Thomas Hitchcock returned the favor in 59th minute with a cross for the unmarked Jody Morris to score our third goal.

Another mid-table team, another chance for us to get another three points. Our next home game was up against Hereford. We settled into the game fast and slowly took control. James Lawrie and Thomas Hitchcock were lively up front. Both of them scored a goal each to give us a 2-0 lead in the first half. A diving header from midfielder Ross Barkley made it 3-0 in 51st minute. We allowed Hereford to pull a goal back due to some poor marking. There was no way back for them when they got a man sent off seven minutes from full time.

We missed a good chance to extend the lead further as we were held to a draw by 18th place Torquay. Thomas Hitchcock continued his great form by scoring another two goals. A header and a first time shot show how good he is. We couldn’t keep the lead though as twice we saw Torquay coming from behind to force a draw.

Last game of the month was against 7th place Chesterfield. Loanee Johan Hammer scored his first goal for the club when he slide in from a Oliver Nicholas header. Chesterfield reacted strongly and they equalized with a brilliant header in 35th minute. Shortly after the restart,  Thomas Hitchcock restored our lead when he showed good dribbling skills to finish with ease. 2-1 to us in the first half. Top class Thomas Hitchcock had an injury in 66th minute and had to come off. One minute later, Oliver Nicholas headed the ball towards goal from a set-piece but the ball hit the bar. He reacted first and converted the rebound. A comfortable win for us against a good team.

We are guarantee a play-off spot after the win against Chesterfield. Seven points ahead of Hartlepool and eighteen points off 4th place Grimsby. I am pretty assure we will gain promotion this season even with seven games left. Our main aim now is to secure the title. The injury to Thomas Hitchcock will rule him out for 3-4 weeks. The three months loan for him and the other loanee will be up and they will due to return to their respective clubs in April. We have Thomas Hitchcock to thank for bringing us so far as he scored 14 goals for us in fourteen games. Ha also have 7 man of the match awards and that is absolutely brilliant form in such a short period. His involvement against Chesterfield will be his last game and the Telford fans will be grateful to his contribution. This month also saw me received my third manager of the month award with three victories and two draws.

We need one more win to earn us the promotion spot as we have a superior goal difference. Even though we are left with our original players with no loanees but i am confident the current players will do the job well. Alright friends, our 2012/13 season will come to an end soon and i hope to see you in my final report to share with you the good news. Thanks for reading this updates.

Our great form has made the board stand up and take noted. I am being offered a change of season expectation before the end of 2012. There was no changes on transfer and wage budget in choosing title challenge and winners. I told the board we can win promotion. As a result, we will have 28k to spend and our wage budget is increased to 13.5k.

My contract is expiring in 2013 and there is no signs of the board offering me a new contract. Being committed to Telford, i went to the board and asked to renew my contract. Below is the conversation.

The board glad accepted my request and i will be offered a new contract soon. Besides that, i also asked for expansion of the scouting range which they agreed. It’s great to have a understanding board who shows the same ambition as you.

I was soon offered a contract ends in 2015 but i extended another year which will see me stay in Telford until 2016.

Even though i have money to spend but i never use any of it. I am bringing in loans to help us in our quest on the title challenge. The loanees all arrive three months loan from Premier League side. Some of the existing loanees will returned back to their clubs.

First player is young Turkish international who looks promising in every department. He will walk straight into the first team with another loanee whom you can see below.

I signed Thomas Hitchcock before in FM10 so i am quite familiar with what he can do. He is fast and can play in either foot. He will be partnering Berkan Cakir in a new strike partnership. The reason why i brought in them is i am not happy with the performance of my existing strikers. The other three loanees all came from Everton.

Johan Hammer play in central defence and is a current Swedish youth international. He is as good as Oliver Nicholas and will be his partner for three months.

We are a bit short on the left back position so i am glad to have Luke Garbutt staying with us for three months which he will help us to solve the left back position temporarily.

Last player to join us is Ross Barkley who will be a good backup in center midfield. A determined lad who will do well for us when we need him. So here is the results in January.

Another fantastic month for us as we won five out of the six games. New loan signings Thomas Hitchcock and Bakan Cakir have settled well and contributed few goals for the team.

First game of the month was against bottom team Aldershot. I had to make several changes as two games in three days took its toll on the players. Defender Shane Killock was having an incredible game as he scored two goals in the first half. The first was scored in close range after a header by Moses Barnett hit a Aldershot defender and the ball fell to him. Second was a header by a set-piece. We completely dominated the game and Dominic completed the rout for us after he finished with a fierce shot from a James Lawrie cross. 3-0 to us when the whistle was sounded. The injury to Marlon Jackson was not serious as he will be out for few days.

Match Highlights

It was a home debut for Johan Hammer, Luke Garbutt, Bakan Cakir and Thomas Hitchcock against 14th place Stevenage. They were able to match us in terms of chances. Johan Hammer was nervy in his first match as his mistake gifted Stevenage a goal as early as 2nd minute. We got off to a seven minutes salvo which saw us scored three goals starting from 22nd minute. Thomas Hitchcock scored his debut goal after pouncing on a rebound off the bar from a Greg Mills shot. Another Greg Mills shot was saved but Bakan Cakir was there to put in the rebound four minutes later. A set piece by Ismael Fonfana found Thomas Hitchcock and his second goal of the game. He was an instant favorite in New Bucks Head. Second half turned into a boring game but they were able to score their second goal after a mistake by another debutant Luke Garbutt five minutes from time. We just held on and wait for the final whistle.

Match Highlights

We were away to face 20th place Port Valve and another game that we have to win. We took an early lead in 2nd minute when Port Vale failed to clear a corner and Greg Mills found himself with the ball to finish off. The match belong to Port Valve after the goal as they pressured us right to the end. Some resolute defending and miss chances allowed us to keep a clean sheet and three points.

Match Highlights

We were facing 21st place Crewe who knocked us out of the FA cup. We were more efficient creating more chances even though Crewe had more possession on the ball. Bakan Cakir beat the offside trap to scored from 20 yards after a through ball by Thomas Hitchcock in 39th minute. We took a slender lead to the dressing room. The players did themselves no mercy by missing chances. Our second goal finally came from Thomas Hitchcock in 64th minute after they lost possession and the ball was released to Thomas Hitchcock up front who couldn’t miss. So far so good for us.

Match Highlights

20th place Lincoln was our next opponent. It was well contested match. We took the lead by a fluke goal when a corner by Anton Peterlin just curled into the net. The lead couldn’t last for long as they equalized in 29th minute. Thomas Hitchcock was in a rich vein of form as he timed his run well to unleash a low shot past the goalkeeper. We lead by one goal after 45 minutes. It was disappointing to concede a goal four minutes after the break as we failed to close down their player. There was no further goals and the game finished 2-2.

Match Highlights

We had a difficult game coming up and up against 7th place Bournemouth who is chasing a play-off spot. We had a poor game in the first half as Bournemouth was all over us on the field. A brilliant header from their winger saw us trailing by a goal in the first half. Some harsh words were flashed in the dressing room but things didn’t improve. It was until a change of strategy and tempo, things started to open up for us. James Lawrie brought us level in 77th minute when he placed a shot in. We were looking for the draw but Jody Morris got us cheering when he put the ball into the open net after a header from Marlon Jackson bounced from the bar. He still had time to score another goal in injury time to complete the come back. Great effort by the players.

Match Highlights

With 16 matches left, the table looks as above. We lead Hartlepool by 6 points and 12 points ahead of 4th place Bradford. If we can maintain the form, promotion should be no problem for us. Thomas Hitchcock is a fans favorite with four goals and 3 MoM in five games. Hopefully when he leaves in April, the promotion is already secured. Bakan Cakir has a great start but hit a patchy form in the last few games.

We have a relax schedule in February with four matches waiting for us. It was not easy at all as Walsall and Bradford are chasing a promotion place. We can’t afford to slip up as Hartlepool looks strong to finish above us. We just need to continue playing like we are and i think we should be fine. Thanks for reading this updates, see you soon.

A replay of FA cup saw us played an additional game. We didn’t do well in the FA cup as we were knocked out by Crewe at home. We had a great run in the league winning five out of six games. The crunch meeting against league leaders Grimsby saw us came back from behind to take the game from them.

An FA Cup meeting against fellow league 2 side Crewe in first game of the month. They have been poor in the League but seem determined to progress in the cup competition. Both teams were evenly match and no surprise it ended in a draw. Crewe took the lead in 36 minute when their winger found some space in the penalty area. We had to wait until nine minutes from time before a glancing header from Dominic Knowles brought the score level. The reply will be play few days later in our New Bucks Head stadium.

Match Highlights

We had a home game coming up against 19th place Wycombe. We need to win against teams in the bottom half to keep our title hopes alive. Thing looked good for us as Oliver Nicholas powered a header in from a corner to give us the lead in 21st minute. A failed clearance from Shane Killock saw them equalized from close range. It was 1-1 after 45 minutes. The game was locked in a stalemate as neither teams looked capable to win the game. However, a mistake by their defender saw James Lawrie one on one with their goalkeeper and he couldn’t miss. He picked up an injury in injury time but luckily it was not serious to keep him out for long.

Match Highlights

In this FA cup replay, Crewe was visiting New Bucks Head and we looked good to progress. Crewe is a resilient side and we had a hard time breaking them down. A magnificent goal from their right back saw us falling behind in 62nd minute. We tried hard to gain something but defensively Crewe was unbreakable. We were out of the FA cup. Loanee Kinsley James who played brightly got an injury and will be out for the rest of the month.

Match Highlights

Against 17th place Accrington, we employed a control strategy and took an early lead through James Lawrie who scored a brilliant goal from the edge of the box in 10th minute. We couldn’t keep the lead for long as our defence was split in 25th minute which their player scored from close range. A straight red for their defender in 43rd minute started to open up things for us. We initiated the attacks after the break but Accrington was able to match us despite one man down. The winner finally came in 63rd minutes after Greg Mills fed his opposite winger Ismael Fonfana inside the six yards box and he struck with real venom. It was a difficult win even though we have an extra man advantage.

Match Highlights

Next was against 13th place Dag & Red. We controlled the game from start to finish but found trouble in putting the ball in the net. A goalless first half just made the fans nervy. Some good footwork by Dominic Knowles saw him fed a short pass to Fabrice Otshudi in the penalty area who had a fine touch and put us ahead in 68th minute. We had some scary moments towards the end of the match but luckily they couldn’t capitalize. Cristian Marquez who had settled well had a groin strain and will be out for 2-3 weeks.

Match Highlights

It was another good chance to win three points for us against relegation threaten team 23rd place Barnet. The players may have complacency in their heads. We found ourselves chasing every ball and had a hard time playing football. We should have been three or four goals behind if Barnet took their chances. Instead, we took the lead through a Oliver Nicholas header in our first chance in the first half. We took 44 minutes to create a chance and that really showed the dominance by Barnet. Barnet came all out in the second half and got the deserved equalizer in 58th minute. They looked determined to beat the drop and we were very lucky to bring a point home. If they can keep on playing like this, i don’t see why they can’t remain in this division.

Match Highlights

We welcome 11th place Rushden in our next fixture. Rushden took the lead from the spot kick after the referee found an infringement against our player in 11th minute. Shortly after the restart, James Lawrie converted a cross by young left back Sean Howarth to level the score. They gave us the lead by scoring an own goal from our corner due to some pressure from Oliver Nicholas five minutes from half time. Rushden looked like a different team in the second half as they had a few clear chances which they missed. We confirmed the win with another goal in 74th minute. A long kick by the goalkeeper saw Michael Uwezu headed the ball to the path of James Lawrie who scored his second goal of the game.

Match Highlights

It was top of the table clash between 1st and 2nd place. If we win, we will leapfrog Grimsby  to take the 1st place in League 2. First half completely belong to Grimsby as they were all over us. They took an early lead in 5th minutes and further doubled it in 30th minutes. Shane Killock reduced the deficit just before half time after Oliver Nicholas headed the ball to his way from a corner. I was unhappy with the display and made it known to the players. They were motivated and put up a strong display in the second half. Matthew Wells who had a poor game in the first half redeemed himself with a shot from 20 yards out in 75th minute to make it 2-2. Grimsby’s confidence was shattered and we pumped up the winner three minutes later. A through ball by Michael Uwezu saw Greg Mills raced clear off the defender and powered a fierce shot to the top corner. With 12 minutes, we simply played the ball around and held on with the win.

Match Highlights

We climb to the top of League 2 after the win against Grimsby but we are only one point ahead of them. We need to use the form in December as catalyst to maintain the lead through to the end of the season. It was an overall effort by the players but Oliver Nicholas stand out with his defensive and goal scoring contribution. He was also awarded young player of the month for December.

Five victories out of six saw me winning my first manager of the month award this season.

We don’t have much rest before we face Aldershot in first day of 2013. Bournemouth looked the strongest challenger as they are lying in 5th place. The rest of the games look fairly easy for us but we will be wary after what happens against Barnet. We finally take the top spot as our own but can we last the steam? Stay tuned to find out more. Thanks for reading and see you soon in my next update.

We had a decent month. A win against Exeter saw us progressed to FA cup 2nd round. Elsewhere, we managed three wins, a draw and a loss to Chesterfield. Continue reading to see how the game progressed and where we stand after the games.

As Greg Mills is out injured, we are a bit short on the right flank. Young Paul Hogg was brought in from Notts County to provide some cover.

First game of the month saw us travelling to face 15th place Hereford. We conceded an early goal in 8th minute but the goal shouldn’t be given as our player was clearly fouled during the build up to the goal. The players worked hard to find the equalizer and were rewarded in 39th minute. Oliver Nicholas headed the ball to the goalmouth from a corner and Moses Barnett was there to direct it in. 1-1 in the first half. It was an open game in the second half as both teams had numerous chances to kill off the game. Marlon Jackson was having a good game as he scored twice both finding good position on the right to make it 3-1. We concede a brilliant shot in injury time but it was too late for them.

Next was against 11th place Torquay. It was a boring first half as the passing from both sides were terrible. Not surprisingly, there was no goals in the first half. There was not much improvement on the game in the second half. Young loanee Paul Hogg was introduced to replace Marlon Jackson on right midfield and made an immediate impact. He made a good run with the ball and squared a good pass to another loanee Kingsley James who opened his account with Telford in 70th minute. They equalized seven minutes as a loss of possession saw them released the ball to their striker who beat Sam Walker. We went for the winner and got it three minutes from the final whistle. Alexis Nikolas made a good run on the left, drawing their defenders out and sent a low cross for the unmarked Dominic Knowles to angle the ball in. So far so good for us after two games.

We need the win to progress to FA cup second round, we need the revenue generated from it against League 1 side Exeter. It was a cautious match as both side had very few chances in this game. We had a better first half as we scored two goal out of the few chances. The confidence of Kingsley James grew after he scored his first goal for the club. He continued his goal scoring form when he hit the ball in from 20 yards in 18th minute. We doubled the lead in 38th minute. A long kick by their goalkeeper saw Oliver Nicholas headed the ball back to the path of Fabrice Otshudi who powered the ball in. They never look capable of coming back but two late injuries to Oliver Nicholas and James Lawrie dampened the joy. Luckily we will only miss them for 1-2 games.

A tough trip to face Hartlepool, a team relegated from League 1 and currently lying in 2nd place. They played better than us and had more chances but we managed to keep them at bay. We had a chance to take the lead in 67th minute but Jody Morris missed from the spot kick. Both sides ended with a point each.

Another difficult game waiting for us as we were facing the in-form team 7th place Chesterfield. Both sides couldn’t have a breakthrough in the first 45 minutes but things looked worrying for us at times. Poor marking caused us to concede two goals after the break with the same player scoring twice against us. We pulled a goal back scoring in close range through Ismael Fonfana but we ended up on the losing side in front of our own fans.

Last game of the month was away to face 13th place Cheltenham. It was a terrible performance by the players as we had a difficult time getting the ball out of our half. The took the lead in 28th minute after breaking the offside trap to score from close range. We couldn’t even master a single shot for the entire half. Harsh words were flying in the dressing room. We played better but still struggling to create some decent chances. The introduction of James Lawrie and Alexis Nikolas in the second half made a clear difference. James Lawrie provided a delightful pass three minutes from time for Dominic Knowles to score the equalizer. We couldn’t believe when James Lawrie brought the ball to the right and waited to send a low cross for Alexis Nikolas to slide the winner in injury time. Cheltenham was shell shocked and couldn’t believe they had lost it. To us, it was a lucky win as this was a sub-par performance by the players.

We dropped one place to 5th with just one loss in this month. All the top teams are not dropping points and it just increase the challenge of a promotion spot. Fellow promoted BSP side Grimsby is having a good run at the moment lying on top with a four point gap over 2nd place Hartlepool. Even though we only suffer one defeat but our play is worrying. The passing quality has suffered in the last few games and we need to see an improvement in the coming games.

We will start December with a FA cup clash with fellow league 2 side Crewe. After the FA cup meeting, most of the teams we are facing lies in the bottom half. The only difficult game is the one against current leader Grimsby. We can’t afford to lose as we will be drifting away from the title. December will always be the month that we perform poorly so we need to avoid that from happening. Stay tuned to find out our results in December. Thanks for reading this update and see you soon.

We had a good start beating Rochdale by two goals, then we had four draws in a row for the subsequent games dropping a number of points there and Walsall sent us crashing out of JPT beating us on penalties in the JPT.

First game of the month was against 9th place Rochdale. We were able to field our strongest line up for the first time since August. We went for a more adventurous strategy which was attacking. The players were controlling the game but there was no goals in the first half. Dominic Knowles was sent in to replace the ineffective Marlon Jackson and he made an immediate impact by sending a cross to the penalty area for James Lawrie to head it in. It was 2-0 seven minutes later. Jody Morris scored his first league goal of the season after putting through by Daniel Johnson. There was no further goals and Rochdale didn’t seem capable to create any decent chances. A good start by the team.

It was another home game for us and we were up against 9th place Bury. They were missing few first team regulars but they still possess a strong squad. We got off to a bad start when their player was unmarked to head in a goal from a free kick. The players reacted well to that goal and a long kick saw James Lawrie headed the ball over the rushing goalkeeper. It hit the bar but James Lawrie was fastest to react and headed in the rebound. We went ahead in 37th minute after Dominic Knowles seemed to beat the offside trap to round off a move by Anton Peterlin. 2-1 to us in the first half. Things were level when our poor marking gifted them a goal four minutes after the break. We had lots of chances to win the game but the players keep missing the easy chances. It ended as a draw.

In this JPT 2nd round match, we were facing fellow League 2 side Walsall. Both teams sent in a weaken line up but we created more chances than them. It was quite a boring match as it was goalless after ninety minutes. It had to be settled by penalty and we crashed of JPT out losing 5-6. Both Michael Uwezu and Tasos Kapsalopodas were injured after the game and they will be out for 4 weeks and 5 months respectively.

We had a great chance to gain revenge over Walsall who just knocked us out of JPT. They are playing well and lying two places behind us. Key players Daniel Johnson and James Lawrie were on international break and we were a bit short of quality. Some of the loan players had returned back to their own club including Tom Kennedy, Scott Malone, Paul Downing and Billy Clifford. With just three minutes clicking, we were one goal up after a cross to the far post founded Jody Morris who headed the ball in. They had a man sent off in 16 minute but i was not happy at all. We always seem to struggled against 10 men. My prediction was right. They scored the equalizer in an unconvincing manner two minutes after the break. An own goal by their player saw us took the lead once again. However, we couldn’t master a revenge as they scored a goal at the edge of the box to spoil our day.

As we are a bit short of players, i brought in two players. One on free transfer and one on loan.

Cristian Marquez is someone you should be familiar as i think he was in Johnny’s Vauxhall team. My scout believe he has the potential to be a good player for League 1. He should have no problem in adapting in League 2.

Kingsley James is a loanee from Sheff Utd. He can walk into the team straight away but he will be used as a backup for Daniel Johnson and Anton Peterlin. I am still looking for loans who can help us in the left back position as i have no decent left back now.

We were away to face 20th place Shrewsbury our fierce rivals. The fans expected us to win this game as they hate losing to Shrewsbury. We conceded a goal in 14th minute and i thought it was an unfair goal. Oliver Nicholas was clearly hacked down in the penalty area but the referee just played on. He picked up a knock and had to be replace by Shane Killock. They doubled their lead in first half final minute after their same scorer sent a delightful chip over our goalkeeper Sam Walker. The players put up a better performance in the second half. We clawed back one goal when a mis-clearance saw Ismael Fonfana slide the ball into the net. We completed the comeback five minutes from full time after their defender nervously tackled the ball into his own net. We saw this as a point gained and not two point lost.

Last game of the month was against 17th place Luton. Oliver Nicholas gave us a good start in 3rd minute with a good header. They had a chance to equalize but missed from the spot. They brought things level in 17th minute when they capitalize on a mistake by Ismael Fonfana to score a goal. We didn’t play well in this game and was lucky not to concede more. This is our fifth consecutive draw in a row. We have another bad injury again. Greg Mills was injured and will not see action for 6-7 weeks.

We stay in 4th place and Grimsby has leapfrogged over Hartlepool to take 1st place. It is very tight on top. One win or loss can turn the table around. Though we are unbeaten for the whole month but it is worrying to draw so many games. The departure of some loanees has weakened the squad. I need to look for a suitable left back to fill the void. No particular players stand out but i am happy with Jody Morris’s contribution.

Next month will see us taking on Hartlepool who proves to be a difficult opponent. We should not underestimate the rest of the teams as it proves any team can beat each other. There is no indication how our season will end but i am keeping my fingers cross for at least a play-off spot. Thanks for reading this update. I look forward to your comments below.

Not a good start by us. We thrashed Port Vale to progress to JPT next round but our league form has been worrying. We suffered two defeats and a draw. Luckily we regrouped to win our last two games against Bournemouth and Bradford.

First game of the month was against Stevenage who finished 16th last season. We were having a poor game. The midfield pair of Tasos Kapsalopodas and Matthew Wells are being bossed around by their midfield pairing. They were left with 10 men in 20th minutes, yet they still played better than us. Our passing was terrible. We even conceded a goal from the edge of the box in 76th minute and couldn’t find a way back. Poor performance by the players.

Our opponent was Port Vale who is a fellow League 2 side. They will be visiting us after this cup match so they clearly have that league game in mind. They sent out a weakened side while we have not much choices because of the injuries.  As Tasos Kapsalopodas picked up a knock in the previous game,  for the first time i played a 4-3-3 formation with three strikers. The attacking move paid off as the movement of the front three strikers caused them a lot of problems. We raced to a three goal lead in the first half after Michael Uwezu opened the scoring and James Lawrie scored a brace. Jody Morris and Shane Killock contributed a goal each to give us our biggest win of the season.

Second meeting in a row against Port Vale and we will be facing a much stronger side. Both sides were pretty evenly matched in the whole game. Marlon Jackson scored his first ever goal for Telford when he was put through by Jody Morris in 17th minute. The goal was not enough to win us the game as they hit a shot from 25 yards to level the score in the second half. It was all square after 90 minutes.

Next was trip to Alexandra Stadium to face 14th place Crewe. We were struggling to move the ball around in the first half. They didn’t play well enough to threaten us and both teams headed to the dressing room with the score goalless. A defensive lapse saw them took the lead five minutes after the break. We had no answer to that goal and continued our poor start in September.

We were up against Bournemouth who has a inconsistent run of results in the last few games. The team perform terribly in the first half as an own goal from goalkeeper Sam Walker and a shot from close range saw us trailing by two goals. It was an uphill task for us to overturn it. Some harsh words were sent across in the dressing room and the players turned up differently in the second half. First Ismael Fonfana pulled a goal back when he curled the ball in inside the 6 yards box. Marlon Jackson used his left foot to place the ball to the top corner and the score was level after 69 minutes. We pressed on after the equalizer and Ismael Fonfana completed the fightback after he finished off a cross from Greg Mills. New Buck Heads exploded after that goal. We were so proud of the comeback.

Last game of the month was against 11th place Bradford. We had Daniel Johnson and Anton Peterlin returning from injury and things started to look better. We went behind in 30th minute after left back Tom Kennedy was out-jumped at the penalty area. He made amendments eight minutes later when his corner found the head of Moses Barnett and it was 1-1 in the first half. Marlon Jackson turned the table with a close range goal after a cross from James Lawrie two minutes after the break. They got the equalizer in 79th minute with a magnificent strike which the goalkeeper had no chance. Moses Barnett gave us the last laugh with his second goal of the match four minutes later. A set-piece saw the ball released to the far post and he was there to head it in.

After the last two wins, we find ourselves lying in 4th place six points behind the leader Hartlepool. Our injured players have all return except for Alexis Nikolas who is still few weeks away to full fitness. We have Moses Barnett and Ismael Fonfana to thank for as they performed well in the last two games.

There are surely no easy games in League 2. Luckily we have a full squad to choose from. The game of the month will be against Walsall as we have to meet them twice in a row. They are just one point behind us. We need to perform far better to keep up the pace next month. Dear friends, that’s all for this month updates. Thank you very much for reading and see you in my October report.

P.S Sorry there are no videos available. I don’t understand why i can’t upload to my post.

I thought we did quite well in first month of the new season. Our league form was great with two wins and a draw. We beat Championship side Peterborough and progressed to next round where we were soundly beaten by another Championship side Blackpool.

First game of the month was against Lincoln who finished 20th place last season. We had a great start when a fast counter attack saw new loanee Dominic Knowles scored his first goal for Telford. We were controlling the game in the first half. Three minutes before the half time whistle, Daniel Johnson unleashed a powerful shot that flied to the top corner. We were great in defence and Lincoln was having trouble closing in our goal. We got the third goal two minutes from full time when another debutant scored his first goal. Paul Downing pounced on the rebound from a Oliver Nicholas header and put the ball in the net.

We made a trip to London road to face Championship side Peterborough. They are well better than us and had lots of chances to take the lead. But they were shell shocked when Dominic Knowles hit a fierce shot to the top corner. He is fast becoming a favorite to the Telford crowd. We knocked them further when Fabrice Otshudi found himself through to put the ball past their goalkeeper in 28th minute. They mounted a fierce fightback as they pulled a goal back in first half injury time. They level things one minute after the break, completed the fightback from two goals down. We looked in danger of crashing out but we held on and forced the game into replay. It was all square in first 15 minutes. Just as the game was heading for penalties, substitute Marlon Jackson hit a ball in the penalty area and the ball deflected into the net after hitting their defender. We caused an upset and will be meeting Blackpool at the end of the month.

Our rival last season Grimsby was our next opponent. Two wins in a row and we had the confidence to beat them. The game turned up to be a scrappy affair. Chances were far and few and the play quality was very poor. Both teams unable to unlock the defence and it ended in a goalless draw. We had our first two injuries in Alexis Nikolas and the in form Dominic Knowles after the game. Alexis Nikolas will be out for 2-3 months and Dominic Knowles will miss action for 3-4 weeks.

Aldershot had a poor start prior meeting us. Loanee Marlon Jackson got us in trouble when he committed a horrific tackle and got himself sent off five minutes into the game.  With one man less, we actually played better and took a lead when Daniel Johnson scored a goal from the edge of the box. 1-0 to us in the first 45 minutes. We conceded the equalizer seven minutes after the break, a shot from 25 yards. We went behind in 74th minute when they scored a goal from close range. With 16 minutes left, i made a daring substitution sending James Lawrie in to partner Michael Uwezu. It paid off as they combined to find the equalizer four minutes after their goal. Oliver Nicholas sent us into raptures when he put away a corner in injury time. A superb comeback.

Last game of the month was against Championship side Blackpool for a place in the next round of League cup. I sent out a pretty side hoping to emulate the victory against Peterborough. They were far superior than us and found the winning goal in 35th minute. The decision to send out a strong side came back to haunt me as we had three injuries to our key players. First left back Scott Malone will be out for 3-4 weeks. Both my first choice midfielders Anton Peterlin and the impressive Daniel Johnson suffered a knock and will stay in the treatment room for 3-5 weeks. That’s a huge blow.

The table looks like this after three games. We are lying in second two points behind Cheltenham who has a perfect record. The new players settle very well with Dominic Knowles, Anton Peterlin, Tom Kennedy and Paul Downing playing key roles for us. The original squad saw Daniel Johnson and Oliver Nicholas being the most outstanding.

We should be feeling more confident after the good start but those injuries have dampen the atmosphere. We are unsure whether we can keep up the good form, hopefully the players coming in will be able to do the job well. Alright friends, we are seeing good results and that surely boost the confidence and morale. I don’t think we will have relegation problems if we can continue to perform. Thanks for reading this updates and i look forward to your comments.