Exclusive interview with goal machine Dom Telford

Issue Six of Playmaker's regular fanzine 'The Mighty Delta' landed a week or two ago, and now seems a good time to revisit our headline interview with League two goal machine Dominic Telford - who boasts the best minutes per goal ratio in the top four tiers. 

You know you're on to a good thing if you are scoring goals at a faster rate than Championship goal machine Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has hit a whopping 27 goals for Fulham in the second tier this term - and that is exactly what Telford is doing. 

The 24-year-old striker has scored his 18 League Two goals at an average of 77 minutes-per-goal this season, unbelievably putting Serbian cyborg Mitrovic (81mpg) in the shade. 

Here's an extract from the Delta focusing on the secrets behind Telford's fantastic goalscoring form this season...

'It has not always been smooth sailing in south Wales for the forward, who admits he took time to settle at Newport.

“It didn’t happen straight away under the old manager at Newport (Michael Flynn) and I found myself on the transfer list in the summer.

“It was sink or swim really. I came in every day smiling and tried to turn things around by working hard. Since the new manager (James Rowberry) has come in, he hasn’t changed anything dramatically - but my form has just clicked.”

💪 We've opened the gate,and Issue 6⃣ of 'The Mighty Delta' is running wild and free!

💥 Headline interview with @DomTelford9
🍔 Feature with @FootyScran
🎙 @SchiavelloVOICE & the art of football commentary
➕ shedloads more!

⬇ FREE digital zine: https://t.co/y19epNEr3x pic.twitter.com/6qGPg46FFj

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) January 8, 2022

It most certainly has: Telford currently top of the League Two goal charts and in the richest form of his career.

Sticking the ball in the net is universally regarded as the hardest, and most valuable, skill in football, so what’s been Telford’s secret formula this season?

“I’ve managed to string games together, and it feels like all those years with Glyn, Marcus and Ryan; all those sacrifices that people haven’t seen, are now paying off.

“I’ve had a couple of tough seasons where I’ve not hit the ground running, but the hunger has always been there and I back my ability. If I play games of football, I’m going to score goals.”

©Getty / MI News

Another factor: Newport’s muddy bog of recent seasons has been replaced by a pristine playing surface.

“When the pitch was in a bad state, it would play to my weaknesses. Now, it’s top drawer, one of the best I’ve played on, and you’ve no excuses.

“You can trust your touch more. Especially in front of goal, I like getting early shots off and when the pitches aren’t quite there you have to take another touch, which slows the process down.”

The hard yards in the past are paying dividends and, with Rowberry’s Exiles in League Two’s play-off places, the present is rosy.  What of the future?

“I’m not happy with what I’ve achieved this season, I want to kick on now.

“There’s still a lot of football to be played, but I’m ambitious and want automatic promotion. I’ve been lucky enough to be promoted twice out of League Two (with Bury and Plymouth), and there’s nothing better.

“I have my goal targets for the season, but a target won’t do anything on its own. “You have to live it, you have to go to bed thinking about it, wake up thinking about it, it has to be your main focus.”'

💪 Most involved in League Two goals in 21/22:

22⚽: 💥JAMILLE MATT (15G, 7A)💥
19⚽: Dominic Telford (18G, 1A)
17⚽: Matty Stevens (14G, 3A)
14⚽: Aaron Drinan (10G, 4A), Harry McKirdy (10G, 4A)

👀 An extract from our exclusive feature w/ @j4mmaa

🗞 https://t.co/3iq7CvfU5I pic.twitter.com/HTD00gx8mX

— The Mighty Delta (@mighty_delta) January 18, 2022