It was supposed to be a game to remember for the Bucks, as Jordan Piggott and Byron Moore each made their 100th appearance for the club. But the Telford faithful will be in a hurry to forget this one, as the Bucks went down 3-1 to Redditch after a disappointing showing on Monday night under the lights at the Valley Stadium.

Fresh from an excellent all round display at Harborough on Saturday, the Bucks headed into the game knowing that a win would send them to the top of the table. But a flavour of what was to come was played out in the opening moments of the game. First, a mistake in the Redditch backline almost gifted Matty Stenson a chance within the first 30 seconds, before the Reds then went straight to the other end and made it 1-0. Jaiden White’s shot was well saved by Brandon Hall, but the ball fell to Johnny Johnston who pounced on the rebound to give Redditch the lead.

The Bucks offered very little in the rest of the first half. But although Redditch looked threathening, they didn’t create many other clear cut opportunities, and the sides went in with the score at 1-0.

Kevin Wilkin’s men started the second half in better fashion, but failed to really test Reds keeper Callum Smith. And it was Redditch who nearly added a second in the 67th minute, when Billy Shaw struck the bar from 20 yards out.

The Bucks kept pressing and were forcing Redditch back. Reece Styche might have done better when the ball fell his way, but he couldn’t work a good shot and Smith saved comfortably. Moments later, Smith was anything but comfortable as he dropped the ball from a corner. Orrin Pendley couldn’t turn the ball home though, and moments later it was 2-0. The hosts broke quickly from the corner, creating a two-on-one that ended with Onabirekhanlen firing home to double Redditch’s lead.

And the game was done and dusted four minutes later when Jaiden White fired home from the edge of the box to make it 3-0. There was not enough pressure on White to prevent the shot, and the Reds forward confidently did the rest.

The Bucks did grab a consolation deep into added time when Matty Stenson bundled the ball home, but it was too little too late for Wilkin’s men, with the game finishing 3-1 to Redditch.