Road to Wembley - Bucking close

Drama, controversy, passion and pain – this FA Cup classic had it all and so much more. The drama – as fortunes swayed one way then the other in the blink of an astonished eye. Controversy – as Southend scored a suspect opener then were denied what looked a legitimate second before missing a penalty.

Passion – as AFC Telford turned the game on its head, Jon Adams bagging two terrific goals in an electric 30-minute spell. And pain – as the visitors saved their skins in injury-time with a deflected equaliser that means we must do it all again at Roots Hall next week.

Roared on by almost 4,000 at the New Bucks Head stadium Southend United took the lead when after a dodgy decision Jean-Francois Christophe took a quick free-kick and Laurent, suddenly through on goal, made no mistake. Having got their noses in front, the Essex men might well have wrapped it up in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

But they didn't. Telford got back into the game and their pressure finally told on 70 minutes as Vaughan’s cross was only half-cleared and ADAMS struck a fine 25-yard left-footed effort into the bottom corner.

Telford, with their tails up, kept pressing and Andy Brown’s header hit the bar with Meredith volleying the loose ball over. It was ADAMS’ day, though, and he sent the New Bucks Head wild with his second seven minutes from time after good work by substitute Terry Fearns.

The Bucks looked like they could hold on even as the board went up for four minutes of stoppage time, but Southend had other ideas.

Christophe, on loan from Portsmouth, got them off the hook with a 20-yard shot that cruelly deflected off Jamie Vermiglio to beat Young. The moral victory, though, belonged to Telford – and the prize of a second round meeting with Luton or Altrincham remains very much up for grabs.

Telford team: Ryan Young, Lee Vaughan, James Meredith, Gavin Cowan, Stuart Whitehead (c), Martyn Naylor (Terry Fearns 56), Jon Adams, Jamie Vermiglio, Liam Blakeman (Carl Rodgers 80), Andy Brown, Lee Moore (Steve Jagielka 90).
Subs not used: Indy Khela, Steve Taylor, Steve Jagielka
Attendance: 3,631