Gavin Cowan hails impact of AFC Telford signings

Three of the four new faces started the game against the unbeaten table-toppers, and Cowan felt their arrival had lifted the entire squad, but was quick to caution that this was just a first step, albeit a positive one:

“It’s the foundation to kick on, but the goal we’ve conceded was too easy, and then we’ve had numerous chances again. We’ve got to work on that. I thought we were excellent to a man; I thought Matt Stenson came in and set the tone, I thought Ellis Deeney took the game by the scruff of the neck, Adam Walker was magnificent, we could go on all day. For Brendon Daniels to come in, literally a minute before kick-off after Riccardo (Calder) pulling his quad, well he should be proud of himself for reacting like that and putting in a performance like that.”

Calder was the one new player not to feature, picking up an injury no more than fifteen minutes before the start of the game, as Cowan explained:

“Physio Aaron (Lambley) needs to assess him. As he was jogging in from the warm-up, he turned around to kick a ball back to goal and as he did it, he felt something go.”

The Bucks fell behind to a Jordan Burrow goal just before the hour but quickly levelled through James McQuilkin, and arguably could have inflicted the Minstermen’s first loss of the campaign.

Forward Matty Stenson was the catalyst for the Bucks’ strong second-half showing, and was unlucky not to cap his debut with a goal:

“Matty came in on Thursday, and with the type of lad he is he’s out on the pitch now, laughing and joking and getting stuck into people, he’s a real buoyant, brilliant character to have around the place.”

Goalkeeper Matt Yates was solid on debut, as was right wing-back Arlen Birch, who hails from Ellesmere, and Cowan felt their arrival had changed the mood in the existing squad:

“It’s brilliant for the players, because it’s injected a lot of belief into them, but we’ve got to be better on the goals conceded, and we need to finish chances.”