Lowly Poppies have to cure home sickness as Royston come to town

Tuesday night was a frustrating one for striker Sam Bennett and his Poppies team-mates as they lost 3-1 to AFC Telford (Picture: Peter Short)

After claiming back-to-back away wins for the first time since 2018 last week, seeing off Leiston 2-0 and Berkhamsted 3-2, the Poppies returned to home soil on Tuesday and were beaten 3-1 by AFC Telford United.

It was a third home Southern League Premier Central defeat of the campaign for Andy Leese's side, who have yet to taste league success at Latimer Park in six outings, claiming just three points out of a possible 18.

Telford took an early lead, but Tom Scott levelled on 38 minutes, only for the visitors to lead again before the break.

Telford then sealed the win with a third 13 minutes from time, with the Poppies' miserable night complete four minutes from time with a straight red card for Lewis White.

"We played really well in the first half, we dominated the ball and dominated possession, but the two or three chances we created were not taken," said a frustrated Leese.

"Tom then takes one, but then I think Leon Clarke had two chances and in a game against this kind of opposition, and let's face it they are better than their position suggests, we should have done better.

"In the second half I thought we were fine for 20 minutes, we dominated the ball and we have had three opportunities again to score, and we haven't taken them.

"But if you look at their three goals, they have all come from us having the ball and giving the ball away, that is the incredibly frustrating thing. We gave it away cheaply for the first one, and he goes in behind us and the defending isn't up to standard.

"The second we give it away and it results in a free-kick that then gets knocked in and we concede the same type of goal as we conceded on Saturday, and again the one-v-one defending isn't acceptable.

"The third one I’m not clear about, I thought we were in the ascendancy and I couldn't see us conceding, but we do. But we could have put ourselves back in the game in the first half and in the first 20 minutes of the second half, but we didn't do it."

Poppies have dropped back to 18th on goal difference and are back in action on Saturday when they will be targeting their first home win of the season when they host Royston Town.

Quotes courtesy of Peter Short