Marine 2 v 1 AFC Telford United

Tuesday 11th November 2025, Kick-off 19.45

National League North

Rossett Park, Crosby

Admission: £16.50

Programme: £2.50

Attendance: 1.006

A match report from a Marine perspective can be read by clicking here  And from a Telford perspective, by clicking here . Both reports copied and pasted below.

Video highlights can be viewed by clicking here

MARINE 2-1 AFC TELFORD UNITED 

Tom Murphy reports from the MTA…

It was a scrappy start to the game with both teams struggling to get a foothold early on.

Telford’s Adan George was the first to force a save from either goalkeeper as he latched onto a mistake from Sam Fielding.

The striker hit one from the edge of the area only to see his effort palmed away by the returning Jack McIntyre.

A first Marine chance fell to Finlay Sinclair Smith whose powerful shot was comfortably denied by Harvey Randle in the Telford net.

After giving the ball away in their own half on several occasions, the away side eventually punished Marine.

Dyer was able to latch onto a loose ball inside the Marine penalty area and despite getting a touch on it, McIntyre couldn’t keep out the defender’s strike.

In the second half, it was Bobby Grant’s side who came out the better of the two as they looked to draw level.

Odin Samuels-Smith launched an unbelievable effort on target in the 58th minute only to see it tipped over by Randle.

The Mariners were then shortly rewarded for their quick start in the second period.

Striker Newell slotted coolly past Randles after finding himself in behind the Telford defence to bring the score line level.

The number nine then sent a bullet header past the goalkeeper just three minutes later to bag his second of the evening and his team the lead for the first time.

A rampant Marine went on to have complete control for the remainder of the second half, claiming a first three points at home since August.

Marine: McIntyre; Brown (Tunstall 41’), Anson, Drysdale, Samuels-Smith; Fielding, Gregson ©, Marsden; Sinclair-Smith (Roberts 90+3’), Newell (Popoola 88’), Thomas.

Unused subs: Huby, Wardle.

AFC Telford United: Randle, Dyer, Cranston, Piggott, Solademi, Fletcher ©, Walker (Hilton 67), Leshabela (Cawthorne 89), Meddows (Armson 67), George (Williams 82), Dinanga (Lawal 67).

Unused subs: Fridye-Harper, Ilesanmi.

Referee: Luis Griffiths

Attendance: 1,006

Match report - AFC Telford United

Kevin Wilkin’s men started the game well and were the better side in the first half. That said, there weren’t too many clear cut chances in the opening 45 minutes. The Bucks went close on 22 minutes when a corner caused chaos in the box, but the Bucks couldn’t turn the ball home. But Wilkin’s men did take the lead in the 34th minute thanks to Ammar Dyer’s first goal for the club. After Alex Fletcher played a ball into the right channel, good pressure from Adan George led to Marine giving up possession to the advancing Dyer, who carried the ball into the box before clipping home over McIntyre.

The Bucks went into half time 1-0 up, and Wilkin’s men had looked in control of the game, limiting the Mariners to very few chances in the first half. After the break was a very different story, though. Wilkin’s men never got going in the second period, as the hosts upped their intensity and eventually worked their way back into the game.

Marine had been ratcheting up the pressure on the Bucks, and it finally told on the hour mark when George Newell was put clean through, and the Mariners’ centre forward coolly finished past the Bucks’ debutant goalkeeper Harvey Randle.

Three minutes later and the host had turned the scoreline on its head. Fin Sinclair-Smith’s freekick from the left found the head of Newell, who directed his header wide of Randle for his and Marine’s second goal of the game.

And that was pretty much that. With a 2-1 lead, Marine set their stall out to hold onto their advantage, which they did without too much trouble. Having looked the far likelier side in the first half, the Bucks struggled to create even a half chance, as the game rather fizzled out from a Telford perspective. Charlie Williams did have the ball in the back of the net in added time, but an offside flag saw the goal quickly chalked off.

It was a disappointing second half, especially given how controlled the Bucks had been in the first 45 (albeit without creating a glut of chances). But the hosts outfought the Bucks for 15 minutes after the break and then saw out the rest of the game to win 2-1.