March 2014

Shrewsbury Town were the first visitors of the month to New Bucks Head, a team who we hadn't beaten in the three previous games against them, and who were putting forward a strong case for a play-off place. Paul Green replaced Max Wragg at right-back in the only change to the starting line-up, and it was us who drew first blood. Jake Simpson linked well with Lewis Alessandra on the right hand side to bend a cross into the box where Netan Sansara was lurking. Sansara met the ball with his head for his 3rd goal of the season. However Shrewsbury were back level just 3 minutes later, and then, thanks to a Tom Parkes own goal, were ahead after 31 minutes. A powerful effort from David Fox just over 5 minutes before the break gave us an equaliser, but the visitors grabbed what proved to be the winning goal on 73 minutes when Alex Stavrinou scored, to make the final score 3-2 to them.

This game was followed by another defeat, this time at the hands of lowly Chester City, who were dwindling away towards the bottom half of the season. Two goals in the first half proved too much, and we didn't manage a comeback, meaning we went home with nothing. This called for some major changes in the next match at home to 3rd placed Cambridge; Max Wragg returned and Sean Hines started in left midfield, meaning Netan Sansara switched to left back. Tom Parkes partnered Chris Robertson at centre half, with Callum Harrison dropping to the bench, and Ryan Charles came in for Lewis Alessandra, who had taken a knock in the previous game. Jake Simpson's 2nd goal of the season put us ahead after 12 minutes, only for Cambridge to cancel it out 7 minutes later. Simpson unfortunately had to be brought off on 34 minutes after twisting his knee but a Denis Behan double in the space of 3 minutes shortly before half-time, one a header from a Sansara cross, and the other a penalty, gave us a massive advantage. Ryan Charles added a 4th on 62 minutes and David Fox completed the rout with 25 minutes left to make the final score 5-1.

The Cambridge game was followed by two 1-0 wins; first against Barnet when substitute Richard Offiong scored in the 85th minute, and then against Forest Green with Sean Hines providing the only goal of the game; his first for the club. We then travelled to bottom-of-the-table Altrincham for our final game of the month. Michael Noone replaced the injured David Fox for the second consecutive game, whilst William Mellors-Blair played right midfield in place of Jake Simpson who was still out with a twisted knee. Goals from Ryan Charles and Denis Behan meant we went into half-time 2-0 up, and despite a second half goal from the home side, we managed to hold on for a win; our fourth in a row.

A successful March left us in 7th place going into April, and meant we were still in the race for the play-offs. Next month will see the climax of the league, but hopefully it won't be the end of our season.

February 2014

An away trip to Ebbsfleet was first up in February, a game in which we recorded a somewhat overdue win. It was goalless for 89 minutes, with neither side really dominating the game. Substitute Richard Offiong, on at half-time, received the ball from Ryan Charles on the edge of the penalty box and hit a powerful shot into the top corner to seal a late victory, and the three points.

The next game, at home to Southport, was without doubt the most frustrating game I'd been part of in my career. The stats showed we dominated, but the game finished 1-0 to them thanks to a very flukey goal; they got a free kick on the right hand side and Luke Chapman stepped up to take it left footed. He hit the ball, it went over everyone and ended up nestled in the far corner of the goal. At the time, I thought we'd be fine and get back into the game, but it wasn't to be it seems. Our next game against Macclesfield was arguably equally as frustrating as the previous one. They got an early goal after just 8 minutes, and we couldn't equalise nevermind take all 3 points, and for the second game in a row, we lost 1-0. It wasn't as if we were playing poorly; far from it in fact; we'd dominated both games in terms of shots and possession, and had several clear cut chances in each, but we just failed to find the back of the net.

The next game against Worcester called for a reshuffle of our striking partnership. Ryan Charles and Richard Offiong were replaced by Lewis Alessandra and Denis Behan, and the rest of the team was kept the same; after all, we we'd created lots of chances, it was just the finishing we couldn't do. However despite the change in attack, it was one of our defenders who opened the scoring for us. Tom Parkes received the ball from a Jake Simpson throw-in on the left hand side, took two touches to bring the ball inside and hit a right footed shot from 30-yards that whistled past several defenders and ultimately past the stranded Worcester 'keeper James Dormand, for his first goal for the club. Just 3 minutes later Lewis Alessandra doubled our lead with a low shot from Lewis Montrose's through ball. Then on 71 minutes, Jake Simpson, who incidentally was brilliant all match, crossed for Denis Behan who headed in at the far post. The change in strike partnership certainly worked as both strikers found their names on the scoresheet. We held on despite a late consolation from Worcester, to win 3-1.

The win meant we climbed up to 10th in the table, still only 4 points from Macclesfield in 5th place; it was still very tight, with only 10 points separating 5th and 17th place.

January 2014

Our first fixture of 2014 was an away fixture at Histon, who it's fair to say, were struggling in the league. Nevertheless, we were 2-0 down at half-time, once again conceding early goals; something we'd annoyingly done all season. So now we were stuck with the task of scoring three second half goals. After changing the team's mentality to attacking, we grabbed a goal back through a 25-yard strike from Ryan Charles. With Histon not offering much in terms of attack in the second half, we were allowed to press for an equaliser. Richard Offiong replaced Max Wragg with the formation altering to 3-4-3, and within 4 minutes of his introduction, Offiong had got on the end of a Lewis Montrose through ball to level things up for us. We definitely had the momentum, and with 7 minutes left on the clock, Montrose was again the provider, this time for Charles, who shot from the right hand side across the 'keeper for his second goal and the eventual winner. There literally is nothing better in football than a come back.

We were on a high, but our next opponents Stevenage were also on form and doing well in the league in 5th place. For 70 minutes, things were level, with us having arguably the best of the chances. However it was our visitors who opened the scoring with some slick passing that cut open our defence. After the goal, Richard Offiong was once again brought on, with the hope of recreating his super-sub performance in the previous game, along with Michael Noone who replaced David Fox in centre midfield. With less than 5 minutes to go, Offiong received the ball on the right hand touchline and played it back to Lewis Montrose in the centre of the park. Montrose then played the ball across to Michael Noone who hit it first time from 30-yards into the back of the net. It was a brilliant goal, and one that earned us a thoroughly deserved point.


We had to cast our thoughts onto the FA Trophy for the next game, as we faced Macclesfield in the 2nd Round of the competition. Once again though, we were 2-0 down at half-time, again adding to the leaky-defence-in-the-first-half stereotype we seemed to have. Michael Noone was brought on after the break and on 62 minutes, for the second consecutive game, produced a moment of sheer brilliance. Picking up the ball from Ryan Charles in almost the exact same position as he scored from against Stevenage, he hit a first time curling shot into the top corner that even Roberto Carlos would've been proud of. Richard Offiong was brought on shortly after we scored and less than 10 minutes after his introduction, he had drawn us level when Jake Simpson's cross was clumsily spilled by the Macclesfield 'keeper to the feet of Offiong, who had the goal at his mercy and simply tapped the ball into an empty net. It finished 2-2, setting up a replay at their place within the next few days.

The replay was an overall disappointing affair, to say the least. After we'd shown we were no pushovers in the previous match, the game at The Moss Rose in Macclesfield brought us right back down to earth. We lost the game 3-1, with Richard Offiong getting our goal. It meant we were now out of both the FA Cup and the FA Trophy, leaving us with no choice but to concentrate on the league for the rest of the season; starting with an away fixture at AFC Wimbledon. We were put on the back foot when the home side opened the scoring after 21 minutes, but Ryan Charles' 9th goal of the season ensured we travelled back to Telford with a point.

17th placed Gateshead were the next visitors to New Bucks Head, and we were out for revenge after their 3-0 drubbing of us earlier in the season. However it was not to be, and we lost the game 2-0. Burton Albion were our final opponents of the month; another team who were pushing for a place in the play-offs. Lewis Montrose missed out through injury, meaning Callum Harrison moved to centre midfield from centre back, with Tom Parkes filling his empty space at the back. There was also a new face in the starting line up; 17-year-old Sean Hines, a pacey left winger signed on loan from Crewe until the end of the season. Hines' inclusion meant Netan Sansara dropped back to left full back. Burton scored first after 22 minutes, but more or less straight away in the second half, Michael Noone pulled us level with another brilliant strike from 25-yards. It was his 4th of the season, and all the goals he'd got were from 25 to 30-yards; and this most recent goal was voted the Goal of the Month, with Ryan Charles' goal against Histon coming 3rd. Charles then put us ahead with his 10th of the season, and it looked as though we'd done enough to finish the month with 3 points, but unfortunately that wasn't the case; a goal-mouth scramble saw the ball roll to Charles Reece on the edge of the box and he managed to squeeze a shot through the mass of bodies and past Tommy Lee in our goal, to end the game at 2-2.

The results in January left us in 13th place in the league, although we were still only 4 points away from York in 5th; so all is not lost. I wouldn't mind a few wins in February though, just to get our morale going again!

December 2013

December proved to be an overall tough month for us in terms of fixtures, as we were up against both Rushden and Wrexham, both of whom were flying high in the league, and were becoming increasingly distant from the rest of the pack. A home game against Rushden, who at the point of playing us hadn't lost a game in the league, was first up. We conceded an early goal which put us on the back foot, but on the brink of half time, Lewis Montrose fed in Denis Behan who levelled things up with a low finish in the bottom corner. Then, on 60 minutes, Dale Hannah's cross was nodden down by Behan to the feet of Lewis Alessandra who hit a first time shot from the edge of the box for his 5th goal of the season, and to put us ahead. We were dealt a blow with 15 minutes left though, when David Fox was brought off with a pulled hamstring. It looked as though Rushden's unbeaten league form had come to an end, until in the 85th, some slack marking at the back post left Adam Griffin unmarked to head in. It was disappointing, but we would've took a draw at the start, so it wasn't the end of the world.

The 1st Round of the FA Trophy was next; with a game away at Gainsborough Trinity. Michael Noone stepped in for the injured David Fox in an otherwise unchanged side. It was Dale Hannah's last game for the club before he returned to Derby after his loan, and so everyone was hoping he could finish his spell with a win. A first half Denis Behan double put us in good stead, with substitute Richard Offiong adding a third in the second half. Gainsborough grabbed a late consolation, but we were on our way into the next round in a competition which, realistically we could win.

12th placed York City were the next visitors to New Bucks Head, and although they were in mid-table, they were on a good run of form. It showed as well; within 12 minutes we were 3-0 down, and performing badly; Michael Noone and Chris Robertson being the stand-out underachievers. However for the rest of the game, York seemed to take their foot off the gas, and neither side managed to hit the net after that. We even managed to have 12 shots throughout the game; 3 more than them.

Shortly before the next game, there was a slight change within the backroom staff. Ian Cox's contract was expiring at the end of the season and his new contract meant he would be my new assistant manager, replacing Larry Chambers whose contract was altered to become a coach.

Wrexham, who had overtaken Rushden as the league leaders, provided us with our final test of 2013, and arguably one of the toughest. Both sides had chances to score, whilst Lewis Alessandra had a goal disallowed in the second half, but it ended goalless; a good performance against a team who had been brilliant all season.

By the end of the month, we had slipped a couple of places to 9th place, but I was happy considering we'd got two draws against the top two sides. I'll leave you with a couple of screen shots.

This is the league table (baring in mind I took the shot the day before our game in hand, which is why we're in 13th - everyone else played on the 31st), and this is the squad. Here's to a successful 2014...

November 2013

Bottom-of-the-table Altrincham were the first visitors to New Bucks Head in November, and they were easily brushed aside in a convincing 5-0 victory, an identical scoreline to the previous game against Willenhall. Tommy Lee was injured in training between the two games, meaning Alex Cisak started between the sticks for his first appearance of the season. Tom Parkes and Dale Hannah returned to the starting line-up whilst Lewis Alessandra partnered Richard Offiong up front. It was Alessandra who got the first goal for us with a header from a David Fox corner. 5 minutes later, Alessandra's powerful shot was parried to the feet of Jake Simpson who cooly finished for his first goal of the season. Richard Offiong bagged two goals before the break and Dale Hannah's first goal for the club completed the scoring in the second half.

Grays Athletic, another team fighting for survival in the league, were our next opponents. Offiong's 58th minute goal, and 6th in 4 games, gave us the lead, but Grays equalised and managed to hold on for the draw. It was an overall even game, but one in which, in hindsight, we should've won.

The 1st Round proper of the FA Cup came next, as we were drawn at home to League Two's Northampton, 9th in the league at the time. A balanced first half with no goals kept us in with a shout, but the visitors grabbed a goal in the 65th minute to take the lead. It looked as though we we'd spent all our energy, but in the 87th minute, Dale Hannah was brought down in the box and Denis Behan converted the penalty to earn us a replay at their place. The only dampener on the result was the fact that Ryan Charles suffered yet another injury, this time a pulled hamstring, meaning he'd be out for upto a month. We drew 1-1 for the third game in a row in our next game against 5th placed Salisbury, with Richard Offiong grabbing our only goal.

The winner of the FA Cup 1st Round replay would go onto play AFC Bournemouth in the 2nd Round, and from the off, Northampton looked the better of the two sides. They scored after just 3 minutes, but we equalised through David Fox half an hour later. However, within 10 minutes of the restart, Northampton had scored twice, and added a fourth in second half injury time, meaning we were out of the competition.

A trip to Kidderminster Harriers, 4th in the league, was next in the fixture schedule. We hadn't won in 5 games, and needed a win to keep up with the other teams around the play-off places. However, we didn't start well; Kidderminster scored after just 10 minutes. But, with just over 5 minutes left of the first half, we were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of their box. Netan Sansara stepped up and curled the ball left footed round the wall and into the corner of the net for an equaliser. Our chances of winning the game were given a blow when Lewis Montrose received his second yellow card just a minute after we'd pulled level. Things were even between the two sides, until the 72nd minute when Kidderminster once again pulled ahead. We pushed on though, and were awarded an 83rd minute penalty when William Mellors-Blair was brought down, and Denis Behan converted for his 10th league goal of the season. Our ten men had fought back, but it wasn't enough. A 90th minute Kidderminster goal proved to be the winner, and we headed back to Shropshire with nothing to show for our efforts.

Netan Sansara got his 2nd in as many games as we finally got our long-awaited win, against Droylsden a week later. A goalless draw against Woking was the final game of the month, and left us in 5th place. We were only two points away from 3rd and 4th place, both of whom were on 37 points. Leaders Rushden and Diamonds were on 52 points and hadn't lost all season; they were our next opponents.

October 2013

Captain Lewis Montrose and Richard Offiong returned to the squad after injury for out first game of the month against Chester City. It was a game which we should've won, and one in which we had plenty of chances to do so; 12 shots to be specific, to their 5. Once again our defence impressed, but our attack just couldn't quite find the finishing touch to some good moves. Their keeper got Man of the Match, which shows how much he had to do, as the game ended goalless.

Ryan Charles was back from injury for the next game against Cambridge, but the striker lasted just 50 minutes before being taken off with concussion. Just 3 minutes after, substitute Callum Harrison fouled a Cambridge player in the box and they were awarded a penalty, which they subsequently converted. This was the way the game finished.

Max Wragg made the bench for the next match after missing 9 months through injury. The right back was voted our Fans Player of the Year last season, despite missing nearly 4 months of it with damanged cruciate ligaments. It was good to see him back in contention though. Dale Hannah missed the Cambridge game as he was on international duty with Scotland U21s, and he was still away for the Barnet game. Lewis Alessandra opened the scoring with his 3rd goal of the season after 7 minutes, and two goals from Denis Behan shortly after half time, both of which were provided by Lewis Montrose, sealed the win for us, despite a Barnet consolation with 20 minutes left to play. It was a comfortable victory in the end, and one that took us upto 6th place in the league.

Forest Green were our final league opponents of the month. Dale Hannah returned and took his place on the left wing, meaning Netan Sansara moved back to play left full back. In over 60 games for the club, Sansara had played left midfield for all of them, even though he's a natural left back. Hopefully he won't have forgotten how to play there. After squandering numerous chances, it looked as though we were heading towards yet another 0-0 draw. However, Richard Offiong was brought on for Lewis Alessandra in the 62nd minute, and less than 10 minutes later scored the goal which proved to be the winner, with a powerful finish in the corner from a Lewis Montrose through ball.

We ended the month with an FA Cup fixture. It was the 4th Round Qualifying and we were drawn against Willenhall Town away from home. They were a small semi-professional club from the West Midlands and one of the only teams left in the competition from below the Blue Square North or South. Max Wragg started his first game after injury, with Paul Green moving to left back. Dale Hannah and William Mellors-Blair missed out because of the terms of their loan, Michael Noone and Graham Coughlan started their first games of the season, with the latter partnering Callum Harrison in defence. We had a good start; Lewis Alessandra fed in Richard Offiong after just 5 minutes to open the scoring. This was followed 15 minutes later with a bizarre goal which was credited to Michael Noone. Offiong hit a shot from the edge of the box which was deflected by a Willenhall defender onto Noone, who I don't think knew much about it, and into the back of the net. Offiong did get his second of the game, and our third, in the 26th minute; Lewis Alessandra once again the provider. David Fox was brought on in the second half and scored his first goal for the club with a thunderous 25-yard strike into the top corner. Substitute Ryan Charles, back from injury, completed the scoring with 2 minutes of normal time left, with a back post header off a Michael Noone cross. We sailed comfortably into the second round.

Forgetting the Cambridge result, it was an overall good month for us, and we finished in 6th place, just one point away from Cambridge in 5th. Next month's fixtures are pretty varied; we play two teams from the top 5, two teams from the relegation zone and two from mid-table.

September 2013

After the disappointing performance against Gateshead that ended the previous month, we were determined to start September with a win against Burton Albion. On the bench for us was a familiar face; William Mellors-Blair, the right winger who made 12 appearances for us at the end of last season, had once again joined on loan, this time for the full season, to provide cover and competition for Jake Simpson. Callum Harrison replaced Tom Parkes at centre back in the only change to the starting line-up, and we were given the perfect start after only 50 seconds when Lewis Montrose played in Denis Behan who hit a curling shot into the top right hand corner from the edge of the box. Ryan Charles then doubled our lead with a neat finish; Montrose once again the provider. Despite an instant reply from Burton, and a second half injury to Charles, meaning he'd be out for six weeks, we were able to hold on for the 3 points.

A goalless draw away at struggling Southport followed, with an injury to captain Lewis Montrose adding to the disappointment. He twisted his knee and would be out for 3-4 weeks. On the plus side, our defence played well; Chris Robertson was beginning to show what a good player he is, and why he was signed in the first place, winning almost 80% of headers. Winning ways were restored in the next match against Ebbsfleet as we won 1-0 thanks to a Denis Behan header off a Tommy Lee free-kick, taken from just outside of our penalty area. Lee's assist, and a string of top saves earnt him the Man of the Match award. Richard Offiong damaged his elbow in the game, causing him to miss up to 3 weeks.

Mid-table Macclesfield Town were our next opponents. Lewis Alessandra partnered Denis Behan up front for only his second start of the season, whilst Callum Harrison started in centre midfield for the second game in a row in place of Lewis Montrose. The injuries to Offiong and Charles meant the substitutes bench included 16-year-old striker John Bailey, a product of our youth set-up. The game ended goalless, despite the introduction of Bailey with 20 minutes to go. The same starting line-up was selected for a home fixture against bottom of the table Worcester City, a game in which we proved far too strong for our visitors. It was amazing how we didn't win by more than 3 goals; we had 18 shots overall, whereas they only had one. Denis Behan's 7th of the season, Lewis Alessandra's 1st of the season and Chris Robertson's 1st for the club brought us the goals, in what was a convincing victory.

We finished the month with an away fixture against play-off contenders Shrewsbury Town. Earlier in the week, I had signed a very exciting 19-year-old left winger called Dale Hannah on loan from Derby County for 3 months on the advice of my scouts. Hannah went straight into the side to face Shrewsbury, replacing Netan Sansara. However the result was a bad one; we lost the game 2-1, despite drawing level in the second half through Lewis Alessandra.

An altogether impressive month left us in 7th place at the end of September, just one point away from the play-off places. Our defence, arguably the weak link in the team before the start of the season, is looking assured and solid, whereas the attacking side of the team still could do with kick-starting their season. But, I'm not complaining, and there's hopefully more of the same to come in October.

August 2013

We won our final pre-season fixture against Stourport 1-0, with Denis Behan getting the only goal of the game. It meant that we'd kept four clean sheets in the six friendlies, conceding only against Glenn Hoddle's Academy (once) and against Aston Villa (six times). Things were looking promising for our defence which, at the end of last season, I said was the main priority to sort out.

Before the first game of the season against Histon, 27-year-old goalkeeper Tommy Lee was signed, and went straight into the starting line-up for the match. Also included in the starting line-up was new central defensive partnership Tom Parkes and Callum Harrison, and David Fox started in centre midfield. We dominated the game, but unfortunately didn't manage to hit the back of the net as the game ended 0-0.

Only one change was made for the next game against York; as Denis Behan replaced Richard Offiong up front. Ryan Charles opened the scoring for us after just 3 minutes, and Behan's involvement proved worthy when the striker doubled our tally just 3 minutes later. Charles scored his second on 13 minutes, before York grabbed one back. However, Behan restored our three-goal advantage in first half stoppage time with a neat back post volley. He completed his hat-trick on 55 minutes with a header from a Jake Simpson cross, to make the score 5-1. This was the way it finished; a very assured performance from us.

Our first away fixture of the season saw us travel to Wales to face Wrexham. 27-year-old centre back Chris Robertson, who had been on trial, signed permanently before the game, and went straight into the starting line-up to partner Callum Harrison in defence. Tom Parkes moved to left back to replace Matthew Duffy, in what was the only other change. We went ahead twice, only for the home side to draw level both times. Ryan Charles' brace was cancelled out on each occasion, the second of which came in the 60th minute, meaning we were heading for what was a well-earned draw. However, Wrexham's Heidi Taboubi had other things on his mind, and grabbed the winner for his side with 6 minutes to go. There wasn't enough time for us to draw level, and the game ended 3-2 to them.

Right back Lee Vaughan, who had made a record 217 appearances for AFC Telford, was sold to Rushden shortly before the next game at Stevenage. Vaughan had found his first team opportunities limited ever since Max Wragg was signed, and in recent times had found himself behind Paul Green in the pecking order. He had become increasingly unsettled, and a move seemed the best option for both parties. The Stevenage game ended goalless.

We were back to winning ways the following Saturday, when Denis Behan's goal gave us a 1-0 victory against newly-promoted AFC Wimbledon. However we didn't manage to end the month on a high, as we lost 3-0 away to Gateshead. It was a poor team performance, with hardly anyone performing to their full capability.

Overall, August was a very mixed month for AFC Telford. Two wins, two draws and two defeats meant we ended the month in 12th place. Very average indeed. Hopefully next month the squad will have gelled together a bit more, and we can then push for the top half, which is where we belong really.

June/July 2013

The 1st week of July saw plenty of changes at New Bucks Head, with no less than seven players leaving. Ryan Young, Paul Dixon, Adam Vasey and Danny Carey-Bertram were all released from the club as their deal expired, along with three others. The only incoming player was 29-year-old former Colchester midfielder David Fox, who would provide Michael Noone with some stiff competition in the attacking central midfielder role.

June was fairly quiet as a whole. We were given about £30k to spend; more than enough for a Blue Square Premier side, so I spent the majority of the month scouring endless lists of players in an attempt to find someone who would make a significant difference to the team. Both my scouts were sent out to look for players in and around the UK, but there definitely was a distinct lack of talent on show. Maybe we were looking in the wrong places.

Our first friendly of the campaign brought us up against Glenn Hoddle's Academy. David Fox started the game in midfield, alongside 21-year-old Leicester defender Tom Parkes. Parkes had been bought on that very day for a hefty £16k, a club record but a fee in which I was fairly reluctant to hand over. Parkes had signed after making 19 appearances for the League One side last season, and would be the long-term replacement for the ageing Graham Coughlan. We won the game 3-1, thanks to goals from Ryan Charles, Lewis Montrose and Michael Noone.

We then had two friendlies in the space of a week, and we won both of them. The first was against Canvey Island, which finished 1-0 through a Jake Simpson goal, and the second was against Horsham, which we won 5-0 thanks to goals from Jon Adams, Denis Behan and a superb hat-trick from Richard Offiong.

22-year-old Callum Harrison was signed for £3k just before the next friendly at home to Aston Villa, our parent club. Harrison came from Sheffield Wednesday, managing 12 appearances for the League One side last season, and could operate in defence and, more capably, in midfield. I was hoping to convert Harrison into a centre back, as he had all the necessary attributes; height, strength and tackling. We ended up losing the Villa game 6-0, but we put up a spirited performance against a side who finished 3rd in the Premier League in the previous season.

A 2-0 win against Birmingham Reserves, with goals from David Fox and Lewis Alessandra, completed the month. There was still one scheduled pre-season fixture left, away at Stourport, and then it would be the beginning of our league campaign. We were due to play Histon (H) in the first game, followed by York (H) and Wrexham (A).

May 2013

Finishing 9th in our first season in the Blue Square Premier was regarded as an extremely good achievement by both the board and the fans. The board stated that they were "delighted with the leadership qualities" that I had demonstrated throughout the season, and hoped it would continue as well.

The final standings at the end of the 2012/13 season (click to enlarge)

Our league position graph at the end of the season (click to enlarge)

Jake Simpson was selected in the Blue Square Premier's team of the year, and he thoroughly deserved the accolade. In 39 appearances, the right midfielder scored 7 goals and provided 13 assists, at an average rating of 6.97. Ryan Charles also stood out, as he once again managed to reach the 20-goal landmark; becoming the club's all-time leading goalscorer in the process. Denis Behan and Richard Offiong had very successful first seasons with AFC Telford, as they managed 20 and 18 goals respectively. The undoubted unsung hero though was central midfielder Lewis Montrose. The 24-year-old had developed into an accomplished passer of the ball: he finished with a pass rate of 86% and contributed to 20 assists in 47 appearances. Right back Max Wragg performed well in his 33 games, coming out with an average rating of 7.15, despite having his season cut short through injury.

In pre-season, my main priority will be to strengthen the defence, as we definitely conceded too many for a top half side. There will also be a few players leaving; Simon Davis' loan deal finished and he returned to Crewe, Mark Arber retired and Paul Dixon's contract wasn't renewed.