The Telford faithful were treated to a fine performance and a big three points on Boxing Day, as the Bucks beat Halesowen 2-0 to close the gap on the visitors.

The Bucks began brightly and might have taken an early lead when Ricardo Dinanga found himself one-on-one with Daniel Platt, but the Telford man could only fire straight at the keeper’s legs.

The visitors then grew into the game, forcing a series of corners and free kicks, but the Bucks stood firm, and there were few clear openings for the Yeltz. In the 14th minute Brandon Hall rushed out of his area to thwart Kieran Donnelly, with the Halesowen man convinced that the Telford stopper used an arm to block the ball. But the officials waved play on, indicating that they felt it had come off Hall’s chest.

The Bucks took the lead not long after. Ellis Brown won a freekick on the right-hand corner of the box that Remi Walker whipped into the area. After some pinball in the box, the ball fell to Matty Stenson, who swivelled to his left and hit an absolute howitzer of a shot into the top corner.

The Bucks had the ball in the net again moments later, when Sam Whittall headed home from a corner. But the celebrations were cut short by a foul awarded in favour of the Yeltz, although it was hard to tell exactly why a freekick was awarded.

Wilkin’s men spent much of the remainder of the half camped on the edge of their own area, as Halesowen dominated possession. But the Bucks were well organised and shut the door on most Yeltz attacks. Conor Tee did come close in the 39th minute, but his low strike was somehow flicked away by Whittall as it looked set to arrow into the corner. And it was the Bucks who then doubled their advantage right on half time. A corner from the left wasn’t dealt with, and the ball fell to Dinanga, who pounced to make it 2-0 at the break.

The second half saw the Bucks turn in a professional performance to keep Halesowen at arm’s length. And Wilkin’s men could have added one or two more, as the Bucks launched a number of counterattacks that saw Dinanga, Brown, Walker and Styche all fail to capitalise when well placed.

The Bucks ran out worthy 2-0 winners in the end. And while Wilkin’s men stay in 3rd place, the Bucks close the gap on today’s visitors in 2nd to just a single point.