The Bucks negotiated a tricky period or two before ultimately recording a fine 4-1 victory over Bishop’s Stortford.

The Bucks made a quick start and were ahead after four minutes, when debutant Jordan Cranston set up Ellis Brown, who fired a first-time shot across keeper Charlie Binns and into the far corner. And Brown could and perhaps should have had a second just moments later, but Binns made a good save with his foot to divert the ball away from goal.

The lightning-fast start from the Bucks continued, with Ricardo Dinanga, Brown again, and Matty Stenson all going close. But the Blues hung in there and then started moving the ball with more confidence, and they found a leveller on 31 minutes. Ryan Charles worked the ball down the left, and his low ball across the box was all too inviting for Isa Rotimi, who slid the ball into the corner from six yards.

The Bucks found an all but immediate reaction, though, as Stenson blasted a shot beyond Binns from the edge of the box in the 36th minute. That gave Wilkin’s men a 2-1 lead that they took into the break.

Stortford came out strongly in the second half and were probing for an equaliser. The Bucks stood firm and had the ball in the net again in 64th minute when Dinanga touched in Remi Walker’s effort on goal. An offside flag chalked that one off though, but the Telford faithful didn’t have to wait too long for a third, as Dinanga found the net again, this time legally, in the 71st minute. And what a goal it was! Ricardo controlled the ball with his back to goal, 12 yards out, and then swivelled to hook it past Binns. A superb finish.

Charlie Castle came close to cutting the lead, when he somehow found a way through a packed Bucks defence, but his shot was deflected behind for a corner. And the Bucks then made it four in added time, with Dinanga getting his second of the game thanks to an unerring low finish inside Binns’ right post from 12 yards out.

The Bucks climb up to 6th and have a game in hand on every above them, save for leader Kettering. Just three points separate the top eight, so the Bucks will be looking for more crucial points in the next two games against Stamford and Kettering.