Smith apologises to Telford fans

Rob Smith is calling for his Telford players to buck their ideas up

AFC Telford boss Rob Smith has slammed his players after what he described a a shambolic home defeat by Stafford.

Dean Craven came back to haunt his old club with the only goal on New Year's Day, as the Bucks started 2009 with their first home defeat of the season.

"It was a pathetic, whimpering performance and I can only apologise for it," he told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"I can take defeat on the chin, but we hardly had a shot. Every player put in a poor performance."

Telford had won their previous eight league games in a row, the most recent of them having been the 3-1 Boxing Day away win over the same struggling Stafford side at Marston Road.

And a comprehensive repeat victory, by four goals or more, would have seen them go top of the table. But Craven scored just after the half hour mark to settle the three points.

"We must be the laughing stock of the league after that," added Smith. "And we've got to have a reaction.

"We've got to roll our sleeves up and get back to what we're good at - otherwise we'll fall by the wayside."

Telford remain third in the Blue Square North, still three points behind leaders Tamworth, ahead of Saturday's trip to King's Lynn (1500 GMT).