Dan Stacey and Lewis Cox bring you their take on AFC Telford United's play-off heartbreak.
With a place in the National League North on the line - the Bucks welcomed Leamington in front of a bumper New Bucks Head crowd.
However, the home side underperformed and went down to a late winner from Ewan Williams.
With a place in the National League North on the line - the Bucks welcomed Leamington in front of a bumper New Bucks Head crowd.
However, the home side underperformed and went down to a late winner from Ewan Williams.
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00:00 Dan, heartbreak today in the Southern Central Premier League for AFC Telford United. It's finished, the Bucks 0, Leamington 1 here at the new Bucks Head.
00:08 Just a heartbreak and afternoon of falling vault I think?
00:11 No, absolutely. Over 4,000 people turned up today probably expecting the Telford win and I'd suggest that a lot of the Leamington fans as well would be party to that.
00:21 They just never got going I'm afraid. It was Lattlewister against an experienced side who really made it tough, aggressive front footed.
00:31 Everything that Telford learnt in the end and unfortunately they've been the best team in the division probably since October and it's all come to nothing. They're late so they've fallen to defeat.
00:44 For the first 15, 20 minutes, maybe half an hour, it was very chaotic wasn't it? I think that period was probably where the best chances came, certainly for Telford.
00:54 No, definitely. Montel, bless him, you could tell he wanted a goal today. He was exactly the same as he was in the semi-final, just not as clinical.
01:02 That chance, six minutes in, Remy Walker with a great break. He's played Montel in and he's just not taken the shot and he's not played the pass across to Ellis Brown who probably was in a better position than him.
01:15 He's been driven wide and fired it over. You could probably say for the best part of an hour then that was as good as it got for Telford.
01:24 Up the other end, Leamington, they spurned a really good opportunity didn't they early on through Stewart who just couldn't get a hold of a shot at six yards out.
01:33 That was it. Like you say, it was chaotic and then all of a sudden both teams started to put their foot on the ball and just try and calm things down.
01:42 That definitely played more into Leamington's favour because when Telford are moving the ball at pace, that's when they're brilliant.
01:48 Unfortunately today, whenever they tried to do that, it just got away from them.
01:52 You were in the winning goal about ten minutes from time, wasn't it? Roughly.
01:56 Obviously tough to rally again for that period isn't it and changes maybe the way you approach the finale of the game?
02:01 No, definitely. I've spoken to Kevin Wilken after the game and the way that they conceded it, he's really disappointed with it.
02:08 It's a poor corner to be honest. It's delivery into the front post and they've just not dealt with it.
02:14 Theo Streets calls Mayame as he did for every set-piece today.
02:17 Sazamayes as well. Evans as well. They're a big old team Leamington.
02:22 It's no surprise that they are a threat off set-pieces. Ultimately, that's what's undone Telford today.
02:29 Let's call it what it is, it's just a hopeful ball to the back post.
02:33 Kevin there has explained it as one team are on the front foot aggressive and one of them are on the back foot a bit tentative.
02:41 Ultimately, it's the difference between the two teams, isn't it?
02:45 It is, it's a heartbreaking afternoon. What an occasion it was.
02:49 That aside, it felt like it was all there for the home side today. They say more than 4,000 in.
02:54 I think we believe the biggest crowd probably since 2011 here. It's just another eye-opener of that potential, isn't it?
03:02 Not talking about on the pitch but everything else involved with the club and town.
03:06 You just feel for Kevin Wilken, don't you really?
03:09 Obviously, it's far too early to be talking about this but the job continues. We've spoken to Fraser Kerr, haven't we, post-match?
03:16 We've already found out a little bit of what the future holds for some of this Telford squad.
03:21 Definitely, like you say, Fraser there has confirmed that he will not be staying at AFC Telford United, which is a blow.
03:28 Ultimately, Kevin Wilken has left him out of the side for the KBs games of the season.
03:32 They can clearly manage without him but there will be less of a rebuild than last summer.
03:40 Naturally, I think there were 18 players out and in and that won't be the case this summer.
03:47 There are players in that team who, you've got to be realistic, are going to be attracting interest from teams who can offer probably full-time football
03:55 and definitely football in either tier 5 or tier 6 of England's football.
04:00 It's going to be an interesting one but equally, I think players will look at Telford and see a really good opportunity.
04:09 The players who have joined mid-season that I've spoken to have all said they really want to take Telford up.
04:15 The potential this place has, you saw it today, there's 4,000 plus people in. There's new American investors coming to the club.
04:23 It's very early to say this but Telford are going to be up there as favourites for whatever division they end up being put in next season,
04:32 be that the Southern Central Premier or otherwise.
04:36 It's going to be an interesting summer because play-off hangovers can exist at any level of football, don't they?
04:44 There's no doubt that this team were good enough to get promoted today.
04:49 It'll be interesting to see what a Telford United team looks like come August.
04:52 Just as a final point, you've spoken with Kevin Rook in nearly every step of the way this season.
04:59 You've seen numerous games. How do you gauge, how do you sum up the campaign as a whole?
05:06 It's ended in disappointment today but by and large, it was a slow start, we all know that.
05:11 The recovery made from whatever month it would have been, either side of Christmas, has been quite remarkable, hasn't it?
05:18 There's obviously something very good that's been built here and you've touched on it there, keeping it together.
05:23 How do you think it's fair to sum up the whole season?
05:27 I suppose you can split it as pre-October and post-October.
05:32 Pre-October was very much the Telford of last season.
05:36 It was a toxic atmosphere.
05:38 There were players who probably were here because it was AFC Telford and not because it was an opportunity to play football.
05:46 It's a big club at the level and I think what Kevin Rook tried to do in the summer is get rid of players who didn't necessarily buy into the culture of AFC Telford.
05:59 You can see with players like Sam Whittle, who's been brought in during the season and is just everything you want in a player at this level.
06:08 He's a local lad and that's definitely what he's tried to build.
06:12 I think that's the route he will go down again next season.
06:15 In terms of this season, if they'd have started the season better, they would have won the league.
06:20 That's the way to put it. They've ended up three points behind Needham Market.
06:23 Yes, Needham did end the season a few weeks early, having wrapped the league up.
06:28 There's no doubt in my mind that on their day, Telford are the best team in the league as far as I'm concerned.
06:35 I think they showed that a lot post-October. Pre-October, I'm sure Kev Wilkins is going to look back at it and rue some of those moments.
06:44 They struggled to get going and struggled to gel, but as soon as they did do, it was an 18-19 game on beat and run.
06:54 Two defeats in close to 30 games. It was a great turnaround, but ultimately, this was the biggest game of the season and they've just come up short.
07:05 You touched on it there. Kevin Wilkins' recruitment has paid off so often this season, hasn't it?
07:11 What he does have to do in the window in the summer, in the market, there should be some confidence within and externally with fans that he can get those players in again.
07:22 Definitely. Like I say, I touched on Sam Whittle. You could say Matty Stenson, Kyle Storer, Ellis Browne has been a revelation on the wing.
07:30 Even Reece Sykes. When Reece and Sam came in at the beginning, Telford were in a real bad place.
07:38 I mentioned the toxicity. There were calls for Kevin Wilkins' head. There were calls for wholesale changes both in the squad and as a club as a whole.
07:50 He turned it around and I think if one message can be taken out of this season, it's that there's a good feeling about Telford again.
07:59 Too long, this club has been not a nice place to watch football.
08:04 In the dull rooms.
08:05 Exactly that. I think with Kevin Wilkins, with the new investment, with fingers crossed the bulk of the squad that took the field today and have done for the last few months,
08:16 there's potential there. Again, it's very early. It's still very raw. Obviously, we're both very disappointed after that.
08:23 The future is bright. It might not feel it now, but the future is bright.
08:27 Heartbreak in the end then and not to be for AFC Telford United today. But plenty to bring you in terms of reaction from Dan. So, check out shopshistard.com.