An early start for Telford Town U15s, but at least the sun was shining as they travelled to face Wulfrunians looking to build some momentum as the season continues.

Telford started with Will in goal, a back three of Brad, Fin W and George, with Charlie and Ethan operating as wing-backs. Kayden, Fin and Zami made up the midfield, with Bayley and Josh leading the line.

Watch the full match here or highlights here.

FIRST HALF

Telford actually started the game brightly and for the opening exchanges looked the more threatening of the two sides.

They moved the ball well enough through the middle of the pitch but struggled to turn that possession into anything decisive in the final third. Josh and Fin both managed to force early opportunities, while Bayley was desperately unlucky when a chance opened up in front of goal only for him to lose his footing with the goal seemingly at his mercy.

As the half progressed, though, Wulfrunians began to grow into the game.

Their forwards started to pin the Telford defence deeper and there were warning signs as the hosts looked repeatedly for the direct ball in behind.

Unfortunately, Telford failed to heed those warnings.

On 26 minutes, Wulfrunians took the lead when a long ball over the top once again caught the Telford defensive line out. The hosts took advantage and suddenly Telford found themselves chasing the game.

NN' - Wulfrunians 1-0 Telford

The second followed just 2 minutes later and frustratingly for Telford it came from a very similar source.

Another ball over the top exposed the space behind the defence. This time Wulfrunians got in behind before cutting the ball back across goal for a simple finish.

NN' - Wulfrunians 2-0 Telford

It was particularly frustrating because Telford had started the game well and created opportunities of their own, but Wulfrunians had identified an area they could exploit and punished Telford twice for the same problem.

HALF TIME - WULFRUNIANS 2-0 TELFORD

SECOND HALF

Telford made changes at the break.

Luke came on in goal and Telford switched to a back four as they looked to get themselves back into the game.

The change helped and Telford began to gain more control. They looked more composed defensively and started to more than hold their own against the hosts.

The biggest frustration was what happened when Telford had the ball.

Too often promising attacks were brought to an end by a rushed or inaccurate pass. At other times there was simply not enough urgency on the ball, allowing Wulfrunians to reorganise or turn possession over.

There were occasions when players swung at the ball rather than taking the extra moment to find a teammate, and too many passes were played without the accuracy or purpose needed to build sustained pressure.

That was something Wulfrunians were always capable of exploiting and on NN minutes they extended their lead.

This time there was little Telford could do about the finish, with a well-struck effort from the edge of the area finding its way into the net.

50' - Wulfrunians 3-0 Telford

Despite being three behind, Telford kept going.

They continued to press and finally got the reward their second-half performance deserved.

Harv connected beautifully with an effort that crashed against the crossbar. Archie had followed the shot all the way and reacted quickest, getting his head to the rebound and steering it home.

61' - Wulfrunians 3-1 Telford - Archie

It gave Telford something to show for a much-improved second-half performance and briefly offered hope of making the closing stages interesting.

Wulfrunians, however, made the game safe on NN minutes.

Another effort came in from distance and found its way into the Telford goal to restore the hosts' three-goal advantage.

70' - Wulfrunians 4-1 Telford

Telford continued competing until the end, but there was to be no further change to the score.

FULL TIME - WULFRUNIANS 4-1 TELFORD TOWN

The scoreline perhaps doesn't completely reflect the balance of the game, particularly after the break when Telford were much more composed and more than held their own.

There were positives. Telford started well, created opportunities and continued trying to get themselves back into the contest even at 3-0 down. The switch to four at the back also brought more stability in the second half.

But there were lessons too.

The two first-half goals were particularly frustrating. Telford were given warning signs about the ball over the top but failed to react, and Wulfrunians punished them twice.

In possession there also needs to be more composure. Winning the ball is only half the job; keeping it and using it with purpose is just as important. Too many promising situations disappeared through rushed passes, aimless clearances or a lack of accuracy.

MAN OF THE MATCH - FIN

Fin produced a composed performance throughout and showed his versatility in two very different roles. He operated in midfield during the first half before dropping into centre-back following the change of formation after the break, looking assured in both positions and earning Telford's Man of the Match.

Telford now have a short break before returning to action in a couple of weeks.

When they do return they should finally have a full squad to choose from, with all players available again following the completion of a suspension.

Plenty to work on before then, but the second-half performance showed there is also plenty to build on.