Saturday 1st February BUXTON (1) 2 SOUTHPORT (0) 1 ATT 767
A Luke Brennan brace of strikes either side of half-time, making it 8 goals in his 12 Buxton games, proved decisive in earning 'the Bucks’ full points from a thoroughly entertaining encounter for a crowd nearly 150 up on the last NLN home fixture, doubtless encouraged by the week's 2 away wins & by the home debut of impressive new striker, Johnny Johnston. 'The Sandgrounders', who had only 1 win in their last 13 NLN fixtures & none since Boxing Day, yet who have been able to draw recently at Chester & Hereford, started & finished the match well but overall there was no doubting that 'the Bucks' deserved to win.
Unchanged from the important victory at Darlington, Johnston it was who forced Buxton's first corner-kick with a low drive & he went on to impress with his great pace, immense work-rate & willingness to track back to defend on occasions when necessary. However, his first attempt at goal came only after 'the Bucks' had survived a scramble in their own 6-yard box. After 21 minutes the visitors received no support from referee Rogers in their appeals for a penalty-kick when the offside-looking striker, Angus (ex-Port Vale), went down under challenge from Kieran Burton at the Railway End, then close to the half-hour at the other end, Ben Sault's collision with 'keeper Renshaw resulted in a yellow card for the forward rather than a red, which would indeed have been harsh.
The hosts had so far been settling to their game but without posing a clear threat, until the 31st minute when they went ahead. Josh Popoola beat his man neatly at the left by-line, allowing him to fire a fierce, low cross that was steered home by Brennan close to goal. In response, both Doyle & Hilton wasted opportunities to cross effectively from forward positions, & for Buxton Sault had no fortune when his good work at the right by-line resulted in the ball squirming otherwise untouched across the face of goal.
After the interval 'the Bucks' offered ample early threats, with Johnston's powerful drive forcing a fine diving save from Renshaw (ex-Witton & Curzon Ashton), then, as the pressure was maintained, Connor Kirby was clearly fouled for a penalty award that was again entrusted to Luke Brennan. His firm, low shot was saved but he was able to force home the rebound to double Buxton's advantage.
Thereafter it was the hosts who looked more likely to score next & Johnston's pace & skill took him to the left by-line, but perhaps too eager to score for the home fans, he declined to cut the ball back & instead shot for goal only to find the side-netting. Brennan was the architect of another impressive home attack that set up Sault but his fiercely-struck cut-back passed behind the onrushing Johnston.
Nonetheless 'the Bucks' were seemingly cruising to victory over a Southport side which claimed 48% possession without being able to create clear chances. Yet in the 76th minute, out of the blue & contrary to the run of play, their deficit was halved. Under the pressure created by an accurate through-ball, the otherwise sound centre-back, Bobby Faulkner, prodded the ball wide of 'keeper True Grant & into goal. Naturally 'the Sandgrounders' now saw hope renewed & they exerted some pressure, through several corner-kicks & left-back Doyle's high long-throws, but the home defence proved resolute & in the 5 added minutes the whole team showed its increasing maturity by its progress in managing proceedings intelligently to thwart the visitors.
Next Tuesday at 7-45 p.m. Buxton travel to 8th-placed Chorley & on Saturday, at 3 pm, to relegation-threatened but improving Rushall Olympic.

Bucks: Grant; Lusala, Faulkner, Burton, William; Kirby, Trueman; Popoola (Ravenhill), Sault (Fitzhugh), Brennan; Johnston. Unused Subs: Stobbs, De Girolamo & Elliott.  

​

Tuesday 28th January DARLINGTON (0) 0 BUXTON (1) 1 ATT 1195
Luke Brennan’s first-half penalty proved decisive as Buxton secured all three points against Darlington in County Durham. Manager John McGrath had a forced change to the starting line-up that won convincingly at Marine at the weekend with Josh Popoola coming in for Tommy Elliott with Ben Sault switching to a more central position. The visitors started brightly, with Johnny Johnston breaking through on goal early on, only for Peter Jameson to react quickly and clear his lines. Buxton’s fast start paid off just 10 minutes in when Ben Sault threaded a precise pass through to Johnston once again. This time, as he rounded the onrushing keeper, he was brought down, earning a penalty. Brennan stepped up and, despite Jameson diving the right way, calmly slotted home to make it 1-0.
Darlington’s first real opening came from the right wing, where Sunderland loanee Caden Kelly whipped in a low cross. Jack Maskell was first to react, but his shot was comfortably gathered by True Grant. The home side continued to target the right flank, with Kelly’s delivery into the box flicked on by Jack Lambert, only for the ball to evade everyone in the area.
The home side piled on the pressure after the restart, winning a series of early corners, but Kieran Burton and Bobby Faulkner stood firm at the heart of Buxton’s defence, clearing the danger. Buxton nearly doubled their lead on the counter when a well-worked passing move released Sault, who drove forward before firing at goal. However, Jameson was equal to it, gathering the effort comfortably. The Quakers appealed for a penalty in the 55th minute when Maskell went down under pressure, but the referee waved away the protests, deeming there was no foul. As Darlington continued to dominate possession, Will Hatfield latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the box, stretching to direct a shot towards goal, but Grant was once again alert to make a routine save.  The hosts continued to threaten, forcing a number of blocks and clearances as Buxton defended resolutely. In bizarre circumstances, Josh Popoola, who had already been substituted, was shown a second yellow card in the 86th minute for an incident on the bench. Despite sustained pressure from the hosts, Buxton stood firm, grinding out a hard-fought victory to make it back-to-back wins on the road.
Bucks: Grant; Lusala, Faulkner, Burton, William; Kirby, Trueman; Popoola (Fitzhugh), Sault (Ravenhill), Brennan; Johnston. Unused Subs: Stobbs, De Girolamo & Elliott.  
 

Saturday 25th January MARINE (1) 1 BUXTON (1) 4 ATT. 1188
A superbly commanding 2nd-half display earned Buxton a thoroughly deserved first NLN victory of 2025 from a first visit to Crosby in close to 6 years. Perhaps thankful to have reached the interval level at 1-1, 'the Bucks' began the 2nd half on the front foot, soon established a grip on proceedings & didn't relax it till the points were well & truly won. They showed great energy, moved & passed the ball quickly, then fed on the mistakes made by 'the Mariners' who became demoralised as they fell further & further behind.
Early in the 2nd half Ben Sault twice posed danger, firstly with a low cut-back then with a rocket shot fired against the bar from 18 yards. 'The Bucks' maintained the pressure as Josh Williams glanced a header wide from a well-directed corner-kick before fellow defender, Bobby Faulkner, made a powerful run & cross from the right with 'keeper Corran fortunate to escape spilling the ball, while Kieran Burton made a typically pulsating,50-yards run through the centre. A goal seemed inevitable & so it arrived in the 62nd minute, courtesy of debutant striker Johnny Johnston, who was becoming increasingly influential, & right-back Dermi Lusala enjoying by far his best performance yet. They combined to feed Luke Brennan who finished confidently from 10 yards into the roof of the net for his 5th goal in 10 appearances.
Despite the continuing pressure, a doubling of the advantage was clearly needed & it was achieved in the 69th minute. Will Trueman helped to win midfield possession then Tommy Elliott fed Johnston centrally & the nimble, pacy striker showed commendable composure in stroking the ball wide of Corran. With Marine's confidence & morale visibly wilting, Buxton took full advantage to score a 3rd goal in 12 minutes. Connor Kirby saw an opportunity to seize possession amid Marine muddling in the centre circle & did so at full speed before releasing Johnston perfectly to run on & repeat his first scoring effort-the travelling 'faithful' had soon found a new hero!
As both teams made several substitutions, Buxton retained almost total domination & could have scored more. Spotting the 'keeper off his line, Brennan fired from 50 yards & his effort lacked only a little power, while substitute Josh Popoola cut in from the left but saw his low drive saved. At the other end, a rare Marine attack saw Robinson shoot straight at True Grant from 12 yards.
A 2nd half such as this had hardly seemed likely in the game's opening quarter as the aggressive, physical 'Mariners' enjoyed much of the early possession but without posing much threat. An exception on the quarter-hour was winger Sinclair-Smith's long run on the left but his low cross evaded all. However, the hosts took the lead just past the half-hour through striker Lusami at the far post after a clever penalty-area 'dummy' set up the chance for him by wrong-footing the Buxton defence. 'The Bucks' though trailed for just 5 minutes as the excellent Tommy Elliott unleashed a 20-yard drive that bounced down from the underside of the bar, with the relevant assistant immediately judging that the ball had crossed the line.
So, on a memorable afternoon at Crosby, 'the Bucks' equalled their best NLN away performances, namely the 2022/23 wins at Southport & Bradford (Park Avenue), & for the second time in a month had come from a goal down to win (the first being on Boxing Day versus Alfreton). Saturday's success lifted the club 1 place to 9th but deposited Marine at the foot of the table as 3 of the bottom 4 teams won. What's more, it extended an impressive recent Buxton sequence at College Road to 5 wins & 2 draws in the last 7 visits &, in matches stretching back to the 1969/70 campaign, this was the biggest victory, either home or away, over 'the Mariners'. As for the new players, loanee centre-back Bobby Faulkner was soundness itself in the re-modelled 4-man defence, while Johnny Johnston, newly-signed from Redditch Utd, is the first Buxton player to have netted a brace on debut since Lee Morris in September 2012, in a 6-1 home victory over Ashton Utd.
On Tuesday evening Buxton travel again to take on 7th-placed Darlington (at 7-45 pm) before hosting Southport next Saturday (3 pm).
Bucks: Grant; Lusala, Faulkner, Burton, Williams, Kirby, Trueman (Stobbs); Sault (Popoola), Elliott, Brennan; Johnston (De Girolamo). Unused Subs: Ravenhill & Viggars

Tuesday 21st January BUXTON (2) 4 BELPER TOWN (0) 0 ATT. 301

DERBYSHIRE SENIOR CUP, QUARTER- FINAL
A comfortable, 4-0 quarter- final success on Tuesday evening took 'the Bucks' to within one step (a home semi-final v Derby County Under-21's) of a third consecutive DSC final. Despite the fact that 36 league places separated the clubs, the tie was not as one- sided as the final score might suggest. The re-modelled home rearguard showed due concentration to eliminate any threat by the visiting attack that lacked a cutting edge, in contrast to the Buxton forwards who displayed a ruthlessness in front of goal that was mostly absent in defeat last Saturday.
There was a quiet opening as 'the Bucks' first attacked the Ashwood End but they were into their stride by the quarter- hour & 2 minutes later opened the scoring in spectacular style. Ryan Viggars had already shown a willingness to shoot when he let fly from 20 yards to find the far top corner, giving the experienced ex- Grantham & Basford 'keeper Preston no chance whatsoever.
The goal was befitting an entertaining tie featuring ample passing soccer by both teams, with Buxton clearly fully committed to the challenge offered by the NPL Division One (East) leaders. Yet 10 minutes after the opening goal, an error in defence by the restored Josh Williams allowed ex- Matlock winger Crofts in for a 1- on- 1 scoring opportunity, but, lacking composure, he made a hash of it, blazing high & wide. It proved to be 'the Nailers' best opportunity of the tie.
Next to catch the eye for Buxton was lively midfielder Ben Sault, who was very close to profiting from Connor Kirby's superbly accurate through- ball, then after displaying some fine skill in midfield he produced a low cut- back from the by- line that threatened to find one of several colleagues, but it was intercepted. Between these incidents, in the 37th minute & climaxing a bout of pressure, Buxton doubled their advantage in fortuitous fashion as Josh Popoola's 10- yard drive was wickedly diverted inside a post by the body of ex- Silverlander, Jack Broadhead.
Three substitutions were made at the interval, including one by Buxton as teenaged striker, Sam Tomlinson replaced Viggars for his 19th substitute appearance & he skilfully netted a brace late on to open his scoring account for the club. The second half saw a determined early 'Nailers' effort to reduce their arrears as they enjoyed more possession, but all they had to show for it was a 20- yard Warren ground shot that was well saved & held by True Grant. Yet it was the hosts, either side of the hour, who had 2 better chances. Firstly, with Preston out of goal, Kirby missed the target from fully 40 yards, then Luke Brennan, unusually operating on the right, delivered a typically accurate, lofted cut-back for Tomlinson to send his glancing header narrowly wide of the far post.
There continued to be ample entertainment on view as 'the Bucks' recovered full control in the final quarter & sought further goals. Brennan & in-form Tommy Elliott provided examples of good work in midfield, but it was Diego's 82nd-minute through-ball which pierced the Belper rearguard for Tomlinson to show a composure beyond his years to place the ball wide of Preston for a decisive 3-0 lead & his first Buxton goal. Home attacks continued with substitute Jack Stobbs firing a low cross, untouched, through the penalty area & Popoola, with a 12- yard shot, forced Preston to save well with his legs. Finally, in the 3rd minute of added minute, Tomlinson completed his brace with a superb individual effort reminiscent of the Viggars goal as he found the far top corner.
So 'the Bucks' displayed the professional approach needed to avoid this potential 'banana skin', achieved the first 'clean sheet' of 2025 & richly entertained the 'faithful' ahead of Saturday's NLN visit to Marine. 
Bucks: Grant; Lusala, Williams, Burton; Brennan (Stobbs), Kirby (White), Sault Trueman), Elliott, Popoola; De Girolamo (Mantle), Viggars (Tomlinson)
 

Saturday 18th January BUXTON (1) 1 PETERBOROUGH SPORTS (1) 3 ATT 622
'The Bucks' had only themselves to blame for this second consecutive home defeat in 8 days. 'The Turbines' scored twice in 9 minutes well into the last quarter of the game to seize all 3 points but by then the hosts had spurned enough clear chances to have otherwise made victory virtually certain in a thoroughly entertaining encounter between closely-matched teams. At kick- off, 9th- placed Buxton held a 6- point advantage over the 15th- placed visitors but it was significant that Sports had lost fewer games away (4) than Buxton had at home (5).
Home manager John McGrath made 3 changes to the starting eleven. New loan signing, Bobby Faulkner (20), replaced the recalled Sasnauskas in centre defence, Jack Stobbs was restored in place of Josh Popoola at right wing- back, while Diego returned to the attack as Ethan Fitzhugh made way. Having chosen to attack the Ashwood End, it was the restored striker who was granted the first scoring opportunity, played in by Faulkner, with only 4 minutes gone. Faced only by the advancing ex- Hyde Utd 'keeper, Crook, his lob landed on the net roof, but Peterborough, in the 10th minute scored from their first chance. An unpunished foul on Brennan preceded a lofted corner-kick & when the home defence failed to clear in the 6-yard box Jarvis forced the ball home. However, only 7 minutes had elapsed before the hosts had fashioned a fine equaliser. Luke Brennan on the left was his usual incisive self & his cut-back from the by- line was driven first- time, low & hard, just inside the near-post by Tommy Elliott from 16 yards. 
With Buxton dominating the first- half possession, wide- men Brennan & Stobbs were the main creators & twice within 10 minutes hopes of a second Buxton goal were raised. Only 5 minutes after the equaliser, a superbly- executed corner- kick routine set up the unmarked captain, Connor Kirby, for a clear shot at goal from 16 yards but his effort cleared the bar. Then a penalty award was twice denied as Diego was seemingly fouled. The Sports' goal had one more close call as half-time beckoned. Will Trueman's pass found Stobbs on the right wing for a long, lofted cross that all but caused Port Vale loanee to score a far- post own goal.
It was a bone- chillingly cold day but the high quality of the soccer (if not the Buxton finishing!) more than offset the conditions & the second half was equally entertaining with the visitors gradually establishing themselves as the better side. Yet Buxton continued to make chances. Just past the hour a Stobbs squared pass released Elliott, but he couldn't create an opening for a shot, then a much better opportunity offered itself 6 minutes later. Visiting 'keeper Crook, out of goal, collided with a defender leaving Popoola to shoot into the unguarded net but from 30/35 yards he missed the target. Kirby then went close with a curling, 20-yards free-kick. 
In the 76th minute 'the Bucks' were punished for these misses as 'the Turbines' unsurprisingly re-took the lead. The home defence failed to deal with a long throw & defender McCann slotted home from 12 yards. Yet all was not lost & substitute Ryan Viggars was close to converting Diego's fierce, low cross but once more Sports punished the profligacy. Buxton possession in the centre circle was unnecessarily conceded & from the resulting rapid break forward substitute Booth drove home impressively from 25 yards.
Even so, 'the Bucks' created 3 further openings. A remarkably powerful Diego back-heel was booted from the line, then a splendid Viggars low cross-shot rebounded into Crook's arms from the inside of a post (as Gyasi (ex- Chesterfield) had done similarly for Sports 20 minutes earlier) & finally, 20 yards from goal, Diego's squared pass towards the well-placed, unmarked Stobbs was intercepted by the only adjacent defender.
So, Peterborough won for the first time at the Tarmac Silverlands & thereby achieved a 'double' over 'the Bucks', who recently have richly entertained the paying public but have now conceded 9 goals in their last 3 home outings, leaving much work to be done in time for Tuesday's home DSC quarter- final versus Belper Town (kick- off 7-45 pm).
Bucks: Grant; Faulkner, Ravenhill (Lusala), Burton; Stobbs, Kirby, Trueman (Fitzhugh), Sault (Popoola), Brennan (Viggars); Elliott, De Girolamo. Unused Sub: Williams. 

Saturday 11th January Buxton (2) 2 Chester (3) 4 ATT 1012
Chester picked up all three points on the road at a cold Buxton after a 4-2 victory at The Silverlands Stadium. After snow and freezing temperatures, volunteers worked hard to get the game on throughout the week and were rewarded with an entertaining match if not the result the faithful had wanted. Manager John McGrath named an unchanged starting xi from the last match with Alfreton with Ryan Viggars on the bench for the now departed Cian Coleman. The home side was on the front foot from the start, Tommy Elliott putting the ball in the back of the net after 6 minutes, but the linesman ruled it out for offside. Nathan Woodthorpe had the first attempt for the visitors after seeing an opening at goal but fired it over the crossbar. Charlie Caton looked lively for The Seals and after 15 minutes he forced Grant into a diving save after a powerful shot.
Buxton took the lead after a well-worked corner routine found Ethan Fitzhugh and he managed to squeeze in through the crowded box into the corner to make it 1-0 after 18 minutes. They weren’t ahead for long though with Chester responding just moments later when Caton got on the end of a goalmouth scramble to tap in from six yards. The referee awarded a penalty to the Bucks in the 26th minute when Buxton-born Jimmy Storer (in his first game on a loan at Chester from Wolves) brought down Tommy Elliott in the penalty box. Luke Brennan stepped up to the spot and despite the keeper guessing the right way fired them into a 2-1 lead.  Roles reversed though when Chester were given a penalty with Liam Ravenhill was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. Caton scored the equaliser from 12 yards out for his second goal of the game in the 38th minute. Chester took the lead for the first time just before the break A Declan Weeks corner was flicked on and saved by Grant with Harrison Burke there to follow up with a volley and make it 3-2. 
Chester extended their advantage after 58 minutes with Jack Bainbridge’s low-driven effort gave goalkeeper Grant no chance as he made it 4-2.  One of Buxton’s late chances came in the last ten minutes of the game with a goalmouth scramble from a corner being claimed by Storer in goal. Ben Sault flashed the ball across the goal late on looking to find substitute Ryan Viggars who couldn’t get on the end of it. With Buxton still pushing to get back in the game, Diego De Girolamo had the ball in the back of the net however the flag was again swiftly up for offside. Despite the late pressure from the Bucks, they could not find a way back into the game and their first game of 2025 ending in defeat meaning that only one of the recent six encounters with Chester has ended in a home victory!
The Bucks are back in Tarmac Silverlands Stadium action next Saturday (3pm) with the visit of Peterborough Sports. 
Bucks: Grant; Sasnauskas (De Girolamo), Ravenhill, Burton; Popoola (Lusala), Kirby, Trueman, Fitzhugh (Viggars), Brennan; Sault, Elliott. Unused Subs: Williams & Stobbs. 
 

Thursday 26th December BUXTON (3) 3 ALFRETON TOWN (2) 2 ATT. 938
The 8th-placed 'Bucks' bounced back from Saturday's defeat to achieve a deserved victory over neighbouring, 7th-placed Alfreton Town in a Boxing Day 'thriller'. The hosts recovered from an early deficit to lead by the interval, with the 5 goals scored correctly indicating a splendid half of constant action for the biggest home 'gate' of the season to date. What's more, Buxton's 3 goals were of high quality and entirely fitting for a beautiful winter's day when fog abounded elsewhere.
Manager John McGrath had made 3 changes for what proved to be his team's first NLN victory, at the 5th attempt, versus Alfreton, who, as ever, displayed their own contrasting style of play. Wing- backs Stobbs & Williams were rested, allowing the return of Ethan Fitzhugh & Ben Sault to support Tommy Elliott in attack, with Josh Popoola & Luke Brennan deployed in the wide roles & much in evidence as such. Will Trueman was restored to centre midfield in place of Cian Coleman, who had been ill during the week.
Alfreton's choice was to attack the Ashwood End & were soon on top. Midfielder Lund was also soon employing his attacking long throw, while in the 8th minute striker Day started a move with a midfield header forward & came close to finishing it as he shot wide when stretching to meet a low cross. Then in the 10th minute the visitors took the lead as Salmon netted from close range, though a shirt- pull on Brennan went unpunished. Ex-Silverlander Max Hunt's powerful header, thwarted by True Grant's parry, was close to doubling the advantage but instead, 3 minutes later, it was Buxton who equalised with Kieran Burton heading home a corner-kick at the far post in the 18th minute for his 3rd goal of the season. For only the second time in 29 matches had Buxton netted in this way.
Just 2 minutes later, as goalmouth incidents continued thick & fast, the impressive Sault's through pass all but played in Popoola but 'keeper Willis rushed forward to smother the ball. However, in the 28th minute he was given no chance as the hosts scored again. The in-form Luke Brennan made a left-flank foray of 50 yards at speed from half- way, out-pacing Hunt, to reach the by- line, from where his pin- point cut-back gave Elliott an unchallenged header at the near post. Five minutes on, a Connor Kirby free- kick caused chaos in Alfreton's penalty area but it was the visitors who scored next. In the 35th minute left- winger Billy Whitehouse, briefly a Buxton loanee in the Covid era, beat Kirby at the by-line to cross for Hunt at the far post to replicate Burton's scoring header. Just 2 minutes later the 2-2 scoreline was threatened when 'the Bucks' were awarded a penalty for Lund's off-the-ball trip on Elliott but Willis superbly saved Kirby's well- struck, low drive close to a post. However, home fears of a possible turning- point were dismissed by Sault's brilliant individual goal close to half- time. His neat & tricky footwork deceived 3 nearby defenders, enabling him to slot home from 12 yards.
The second half was goal- less but barely less exciting as 'keepers Grant & Willis gave truly outstanding displays. Alfreton resumed on the attack & Day was surprisingly allowed a penalty area turn but he shot high & wide, then Grant did well to beat out a fierce 10- yards shot. The hosts responded with Elliott's penetrative play that released the excellent Sault but under pressure he shot wide, again from 12 yards. Yet the visitors were having the better of the exchanges in the game's third quarter & there was no respite after Lund's substitution on the hour as Clackstone effectively took over his long- throw duty.
Buxton's own substitutions began in the 65th minute & did restore equality of possession. Twice in 6 minutes the hosts went close to a potentially decisive 4th goal. In the 74th minute Elliott's fine diagonal pass to Brennan wide on the left allowed him to cut in & arrow a a drive towards the far top corner but Willis spectacularly denied him. Then the 'keeper again impressed by thwarting substitute Diego close to goal when he had eluded defenders. At the Railway End, Grant twice had to show the utmost bravery by diving among the feet.
In the closing stages, Alfreton continued to strive for an equaliser but the home defence, standing firm, was not unduly pressurised. So, Buxton made a first instalment in replying to last season's Alfreton 'double'. It was only a second Boxing Day home fixture in 10 years & was surely a huge encouragement to the home 'faithful' to return for more! For Buxton next comes a visit on New Year's Day to Chorley, who have now been overtaken in the NLN table.
Stat of the day: curiously this was only the 7th post-war Silverlands league meeting between the clubs....& Buxton's first victory!
Bucks: Grant; Sasnauskas, Ravenhill, Burton; Popoola, Kirby, Trueman (Williams), Fitzhugh (De Girolamo), Brennan (Lusala); Sault (Coleman), Elliott (Stobbs). 

Saturday 21st December WARRINGTON TOWN (0) 1 BUXTON (0) 0 ATT. 988
A disappointing defeat at 19th-placed Warrington on Saturday ended Buxton's impressive sequence of 6 away games unbeaten as the hosts mastered the undoubtedly adverse conditions better. Only 2 NLN clubs have lost more home fixtures than 'the Wire's 6 but 'the Bucks' rarely looked like finishing off promising first-half approach play versus the resolute home rearguard after choosing to have the strong, end-to-end wind at their backs. They looked purposeful & confident from the outset, dominated possession & played virtually all the fluent passing soccer but omitted to follow one of soccer's eternal truths, namely, to shoot on sight when enjoying a substantial wind advantage. Buxton simply didn't 'work' 'keeper Atherton sufficiently. That was best illustrated at the end of the first half when captain Connor Kirby was centrally placed some 22 yards from goal & in space, but he chose to pass to the flank rather than take a shot.
'The Bucks' attacked mainly on the left with in-form Luke Brennan the most prominent attacker, aided by Josh Popoola who looked livelier than of late. In the 25th minute Brennan's most promising opportunity saw him fouled centrally, some 22 yards from goal by the out-rushing 'keeper. However, the first of 3 major refereeing decisions went in favour of Town as Atherton controversially escaped with seeing yellow rather than red as there was deemed to be defensive cover. Kirby's curled free-kick narrowly cleared the angle of post & bar.
'The Wire' offered an occasional threat on the counter & just prior to the interval 'keeper True Grant was twice outstanding as he first produced a stunning, on his line save then made a clean, high catch under pressure. By then the wind had strengthened & so it remained throughout the second half, offering the hosts ample help with their more direct approach.
Warrington re-started on the front foot & in the 47th minute the second of referee Hall's major decisions also and crucially went Town's way. Teenaged debutant defender, Dovydas Sasnauskas, on a month's loan initially from Sheffield Utd, was adjudged, perhaps harshly, to have handled a short cross & though the 'keeper made a fine save from Rodwell-Grant's 'spot- kick', the striker's follow-up shot gave his team the lead. (Some 25 minutes later Buxton's management was indignant when a very similar incident at the other end went unpunished!
The setback illustrated another of soccer's everlasting truths, namely that 'goals change games'. Taking the lead hugely boosted Warrington's confidence & while the visiting defence was regularly put under pressure, 'the Bucks' simply couldn't get their passing game going again until the last 5 minutes when they exerted some vain pressure by sending forward 9 men for consecutive, lofted free-kicks. Yet at that time it was the hosts who went closest to scoring as an offside flag ruled out another follow-up effort after a superb Grant low save had denied veteran Clarke's drive.
Midfield substitute Will Trueman had been introduced at 3/4 time as a switch was made to a 4-3-3 system. Two more forward substitutions followed but an equaliser proved elusive as Warrington secured a first NLN victory in 9 matches. Cantilever Park had once more proved not to be a happy hunting ground for Buxton who have just 2 draws to show from 7 visits there to challenge Town. 
On Boxing Day at 3 p.m., 8th-placed Buxton entertain 7th- placed neighbours, Alfreton Town.
Bucks: Grant: Sasnauskas, Ravenhill, Burton; Stobbs (Fitzhugh), Kirby, Coleman (De Girolamo), Brennan, Williams (Trueman); Popoola, Elliott. Unused Subs: Lusala & Tomlinson

Saturday 14th December FARSLEY CELTIC (0) 1 BUXTON (1) 2 ATT. 444
By replicating August's 2-1 scoreline versus Farsley, Buxton on Saturday achieved a first 'double' of the season & thereby climbed 2 places to be 5th in the NLN table. On paper this was Farsley's home fixture but the ground-sharing arrangement between the clubs meant it was played at the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium.
Having lost the toss, 'the Bucks' opened towards the Railway End, were certainly at their best on the day in the first half & should surely have been more than a goal up by the interval. Justification for that view lay with wide-men Luke Brennan, on the left, & Jack Stobbs on the right, the duo providing a steady stream of crosses without colleagues being able to profit. In just the 2nd minute an accurate Stobbs cut-back from the by- line set up a shot that was blocked, while Brennan's good work on the left set up a Josh Popoola 20-yard drive that found the midriff of on-loan Barnsley 'keeper, Flavell. For variety, a long ball forward saw Flavell dash from his area to head clear. Quarter-time brought by far Buxton's best opening to date but from Tommy Elliott's short cross, Popoola, from 7 yards at the near post, headed wide. Meanwhile Farsley's commitment to 3 attackers made for an entertaining 1st half.
Then in the 38th minute 'the Bucks' could have fallen behind as Celtic were correctly awarded a penalty- kick for a clear hand- ball by Kieran Burton as he competed for a lofted cross with a raised arm, but Sturridge drove his kick wide. Such an incident often inspires the thought of it being a possible turning-point & so it was in this case as just 2 minutes later Brennan gave Buxton the lead. Cutting in from the left, his 25-yard speculative effort evaded all, bounced & deceived Flavell to enter the net's far bottom corner. Yet Brennan's 2nd goal, in the 47th minute, was of far greater quality & so good as to be a certain candidate for the best strike of the season. Once more cutting in from the left, his trusty right foot, again from 25 yards, propelled the ball into the far top corner.
With wind and now rain at their backs, Buxton looked comfortable in their lead but Burton's foul on O'Boyle gave Farsley a 2nd spot- kick opportunity in the 61st minute & this time Youmbi netted via the unlucky True Grant's outstretched arm. Buxton's response to the setback was disappointingly short of attacking purpose as Celtic mostly enjoyed the better of the remaining 40 minutes (including added time), though play was often scrappy & broken up by the necessary award of 7 cautions. Quicker into the tackle than earlier, Celtic ensured that the result was in doubt to the very end. For Buxton, substitute Ethan Fitzhugh introduced a greater sense of urgency & twice in 3 minutes his team could have scored as Elliott went very close to intercepting a back-pass then Popoola was felled in full flight on the right. However, it was left to Grant to make a vital low save & hold with the match's very last incident.
Buxton's next fixture is on Saturday at Warrington Town (3p.m) when the club will be looking to defeat the hosts for the first time at Cantilever Park after earning just 1 point from 5 previous visits!
Bucks: Grant; Ravenhill, Williams, Burton; Stobbs, Kirby, Coleman (Trueman), Elliott, Brennan; Popoola, De Girolamo (Fitzhugh (Tomlinson)). Unused Subs: Sault & Viggars
 

Wednesday 4th December Buxton (2) 3 Chesterfield (0) 0 ATT 218

Derbyshire Senior Cup 3rd Round

In defence of the senior cup crown retained so convincingly last April at Pride Park, a much-changed Buxton did all that could reasonably have been expected of them by comfortably seeing off a youthful Chesterfield side. 3-0. On a very wet, cold Wednesday evening, the Bucks were purposeful from the outset and scored their three goals at crucial times on 20, 41 and 51 minutes to put themselves firmly in the driving seat.
Not that the hosts were at full strength as True Grant and Kieran Burton, the only remaining ever-presents, were rested, as were captain Connor Kirby and Ben Sault, the only experienced players on the substitutes' bench, plus Josh Popoola, Liam Ravenhill and Ryan Viggars. Nor was the usual formation deployed as a back four was the manager's choice with Jack Stobbs, skipper for the evening, regularly involved in prompting attacks from right-back. In his decade-long professional career he can hardly ever have enjoyed so much possession. Nonetheless the familiar, high-energy, passing style of play remained.
The entirely youthful Chesterfield team barely offered a threat at any point yet deserve much credit for their commitment, discipline, effort and stamina that limited the hosts to three goals. What's more, their perseverance brought, in the last 10 minutes, more possession than at any earlier point. Yet home debutant understudy 'keeper Paul Cooper, who impressed with the consistently high quality of his distribution, had only one stop to make, doing well to save and hold at his near-post an 18th-minute firm, low drive.
Attacking the Ashwood End, Buxton dominated from the outset, moving the ball quickly and passing accurately. A seemingly surprised Luke Brennan couldn't hit the target when a deflected Stobbs cross reached him, while in the 13th minute visiting 'keeper Rinaldo was luckier than he deserved when, unchallenged, he dropped a head-high Stobbs delivery. Seven minutes later the 'keeper was beaten when an Ethan Fitzhugh low cross, again from the right, found Diego De Girolamo in front of goal just a few yards out and the recalled striker made no mistake for a 1-0 lead. 
Two minutes on, the scorer and the excellent Cian Coleman combined effectively but Rinaldo redeemed himself with an agile, tip-over save. There followed the only dull spell of the tie but a flurry of Stobbs-delivered corner-kicks led to the second goal as De Girolamo, lurking behind the central defenders but onside, received a short Tommy Elliott pass and again produced a composed finish.
After half-time the hosts creditably resumed where they had left off and in the 51st minute added to their lead with a most delightful strike. Elliott's sublime, defence-splitting pass and Coleman's superbly-timed run gave the midfielder a close-range opportunity that he confidently converted. It was his sixth goal of a highly productive loan spell.
With a seemingly impregnable lead, a goal-rush might have been anticipated but just short of the hour it was the Spireites who threatened next as Vergari's header from a left-flank free-kick went close. Substitutions aplenty followed and, to the crowd's delight, Academy products Dylan Mantle and Connor Brady were introduced for competitive debuts in attack. Ten minutes from time another well-judged Elliott forward ball released De Girolamo at the half-way line but Rinaldo had detected the threat to rush far from his goal to clear.
So the Bucks made pleasing progress to the quarter-finals but with the likes of Alfreton Town and Ilkeston Town already there, they are likely to face a stiff challenge.
Bucks: Cooper; Stobbs, Delap, Williams (Sault), White; Brennan (Brady), Coleman (Mantle), Elliott, Trueman, Fitzhugh; De Girolamo. Unused Subs: Kirby & Brightmore

Saturday 30th November Spennymoor Town (1) 1 Buxton (1) 1 ATT 1116

It was perhaps asking a lot for Buxton to achieve a third consecutive victory at a soundly- established Vanarama National League North club such as mid-table Spennymoor Town, who were unbeaten in their last six outings.  Nonetheless a second NLN draw of the campaign, this time 1-1, was just reward from an evenly-contested encounter, making for a mere one defeat in the last nine league fixtures. Lacking injured centre-backs Ethan Mann and Finn Delap, the draw can be considered a decent result but the game, though absorbing throughout, was rarely thrilling as there were too few scoring chances created, with both sides confirming their recent records of being hard to beat.
There was increasingly a contrast of styles on view. The Moors, particularly in the second half following the introduction of experienced striker Taylor, opted for a more direct approach, hoping to release their capable forwards but they were well contained by a visiting defence which unusually featured left-back Josh Williams in the centre. 
The Bucks impressed with the accuracy of their passing as they put movements together, contributing to an overall 61% possession, but generally lacked the penetrative ability to create clear scoring opportunities.
Yet both goals came in the opening 21 minutes. On a superb grass pitch and choosing to play downhill first, the hosts were at their best in the opening quarter, forcing Kieran Burton and Liam Ravenhill into some excellent defending. Even so, a dangerous, low, diagonal cross-cum-shot from the left drew a fine save by 'keeper True Grant. Their next threat produced their goal as Dyson's deep, lofted corner-kick was headed back by Gateshead loanee forward Rutledge for Ledger to touch into the net.
However, in the 20th minute, the visitors, for the first time, enjoyed a period of possession and a right-flank move saw Ravenhill, otherwise again outstanding in defence, dispatch a dangerous lofted cross that bemused 'keeper James and, on his second appearance, Luke Brennan was on hand to net the equaliser for his first Buxton goal. 
In response, Spennymoor's Dyson (ex-York) delivered a 30-yard power-drive that passed over the goal. Thereafter the Bucks established their passing game but hadn't fashioned a clear opening by half-time. 
Both teams showed greater intensity immediately after the interval but when True Grant prevented a home breakthrough, the Moors' made two of their four substitutions. However, it was the Bucks who looked the more likely scorers. 
Brennan went on a pacy run, followed by a good cross, while Williams found Ben Sault on the left and the wing-back cut in, shooting low and hard from 25 yards but James clung on well. Newcomer Ryan Viggars was introduced close to three-quarters time but couldn't match last week's scoring impact. More substitutions followed but a deciding goal seemed ever less likely until added time arrived when a home left-wing free-kick was half cleared for a 20-yard fiercely-struck drive to be deflected wide.
So ended a game that preserved Buxton's unbeaten sequence after four visits to The Brewery Field and this one surely had an unprecedented feature of recent times with referee Wilson, for both teams, correctly keeping his disciplinary cards in his pockets.
Bucks: Grant; Stobbs, Ravenhill, Williams, Burton, Sault (Fitzhugh); Kirby, Coleman; Popoola, Elliott, Brennan (Viggars). Unused Subs: De Girolamo & Trueman. 
 

Saturday 23rd November Buxton (1) 2 Oxford City (1) 1 ATT 501
The Bucks returned to league action with a 2-1 victory over Oxford City, having to battle tough weather conditions at The Silverlands Stadium. With snow falling overnight Buxton fans came out in numbers in order to shovel it off the pitch to get the game on. With Elliott suspended and Delap injured, Buxton manager John McGrath gave a debut to new signing Luke Brennan with another new recruit, Ryan Viggars, on the bench. Buxton took an early lead after just 9 minutes when Ben Sault came in from the left-hand side on the counter-attack and with a curling finish his strike found the top right-hand corner of the goal. Viggars had an early introduction to the match, replacing Ethan Mann just a minute later which meant a shuffling of the playing squad.   In the 27th minute Josh Williams was forced into making a last-ditch slide tackle to stop Zac McEachran from running through at goal. Oxford City managed to find a fortunate equaliser in the 32nd minute when Jayen Carbon’s cross squeezed its way past True Grant to make it 1-1 going into the break.
The home side started the second half on top with Connor Kirby trying his luck from distance and Kieran Burton’s header from a corner just coming into the hands of the Oxford goalkeeper. Ryan Viggars then pressed high to win the ball back and combined with fellow new signing Luke Brennan, but he couldn't quite find the target. But the visitors fought back with McEachran getting a good shot off at the goalkeeper after beating his man. However, it was Buxton who retook the lead with Popoola’s shot on the edge of the box saved by Jonathan Macauley and falling into the path of Viggars who smashed it into the net to make it 2-1 in the 75th minute.  Oxford City thought they had equalised just five minutes later when Josh Parker put the ball in the net but it was fortunately ruled out for offside from the linesman. But despite the late pressure from Oxford Buxton held on to secure all three points.
Bucks: Grant; Mann (Viggars (Tomlinson (De Girolamo))), Ravenhill, Burton; Stobbs, Kirby, Coleman (Trueman), Williams; Brennan (Fitzhugh), Sault, Popoola. 

Saturday 16th November Darlington (0) 1 Buxton (0) 0 ATT 995 Isuzu FA Trophy 2nd Round
Buxton exited the FA Trophy falling to a 1-0 defeat against Darlington, courtesy of a late strike from Cedric Main at Blackwell Meadows. The Bucks started the game strongly, pressing Darlington early and earning two corners within the first few minutes. However, Darlington’s defence held firm, with Ethan Mann’s header being cleared away during the second set-piece opportunity. Buxton’s best early chance came in the 11th minute when Ethan Fitzhugh and Diego De Girolamo combined brilliantly with a slick one-two passing move. Fitzhugh found himself in space but could only shoot directly into the hands of Darlington’s goalkeeper. Darlington then had their first notable chance shortly after, as Main was played through on goal. However, Buxton’s goalkeeper, True Grant, reacted swiftly to deny the forward in a one-on-one situation. The Bucks responded with another well-executed passing move, culminating in Jack Stobbs delivering a pinpoint cross to Josh Popoola, whose header flew narrowly over the crossbar. Buxton suffered an early setback as Finn Delap had to be substituted after going down off the ball, with Josh Williams coming on as his replacement. As halftime approached, Main tried his luck from the edge of the box, but his effort was easily gathered by Grant.  The first half ended with Darlington missing a big opportunity as Jack Maskell found himself at the back post but could only find the side netting.
Fitzhugh had an early attempt in the second half that forced Darlington’s keeper Pete Jameson into a save. Minutes later, Ali Alshabeeb spotted space from distance but saw his effort sail wide of the post. Darlington’s substitute Cornish came close to breaking the deadlock after meeting a corner kick on the edge of the box, but his shot went wide. Darlington gradually grew into the game, creating two notable chances around the 69th minute. Cameron Salked first attempted to find the far corner with a curling shot that narrowly missed the target. Shortly after, his deflected effort was saved by Grant, who kept Buxton in the contest. However, Darlington found their breakthrough in added time.  Will Hatfield made a driving run from midfield, threading a precise pass to Main, who showcased his composure by dribbling into the box and slotting the ball past Grant to secure the win for the visitors.
The narrow defeat sees Buxton eliminated from the FA Trophy, as they now turn their focus back to league action, hosting Oxford City at The Tarmac Silverlands Stadium next week.
Bucks: Grant, Stobbs, Mann, Delap (Williams), Burton, Popoola; Elliott, Coleman; Fitzhugh (Trueman), Elliott, De Girolamo (Tomlinson). Unused Subs: Leigh & Rose
 

Tuesday 12th November Buxton (0) 0 Brackley Town (0) 2 ATT 635

Buxton's splendid unbeaten sequence of six matches came to an abrupt halt on Tuesday evening as Brackley Town deservedly won for the first time at the Silverlands, at the third attempt. As predicted, the Saints proved a tougher nut to crack than league-leaders Scunthorpe had been last Saturday. They hadn't lost away from home since mid-August, had conceded a mere three goals in their last seven NLN fixtures and arrived with a game-plan that they deployed most successfully.
Brackley's clear first-half aim, as the Bucks attacked the Ashwood End, was mainly to contain by conceding possession in two-thirds of the pitch but for their five-man rearguard then to stifle every method employed by the hosts, who had replaced suspended skipper Connor Kirby with Diego De Girolamo, who operated in his usual striker role while Ben Sault moved into centre midfield. Indeed it was the striker who made a 13th-minute opening for himself as Buxton countered speedily. Despite being policed by two defenders, he did very well to dispatch a 19-yard, low drive that fully extended 'keeper Maxted, a veteran of six EFL clubs. 

Such openings were a rarity even in the opening quarter of the match when the Bucks were at their best, probing, particularly on the wings, for any weaknesses, but finding precious few. 
However, there were promising moments in the first half. At quarter time, Ethan Mann's 30-yard, slide-rule ground pass found De Girolamo well forward but he couldn't develop the opportunity. Yet a home goal did seem probable around the 36th minute when, from deep on the left, Josh Williams lobbed the 'keeper but no team-mate could profit, then Josh Popoola soon went close with a 30-yard "screamer" which passed narrowly wide.
In the first half when in possession, the visitors sought to pass their way forward to their three attackers, who were well contained by the home defenders, of whom Burton in particular caught the eye. However, Brackley had a not-so-secret weapon in right wing-back George Carline (a Buxton target when he had left Chesterfield two-and-a-half years ago), who is armed with arguably the longest throw in the NLN. He used it four times in the first 12 minutes but the trio of home centre-backs coped admirably with the lofted threat at this stage.
So the interval arrived with the evening still score-less but it had become increasingly evident that the first goal was likely to be crucial.
In the second half proceedings took an altogether different direction as Brackley immediately became more adventurous while the Bucks simply couldn't get going, being unable to develop passing movements to pierce the visiting defence. Even Cian Coleman, the hat-trick hero at Scunthorpe, couldn't make his usual impact in midfield. Yet the home defence held firm till the 70th minute when Carline's seventh missile finally found a Brackley head in the Buxton six-yard box and the nearby Connor Hall (ex-Chorley) headed home. 
Buxton may have been unlucky in that only a minute earlier the excellent but injured Liam Ravenhill had been replaced by Finn Delap, who therefore barely had time to settle to his task. Five minutes on and a second goal just about ensured full points for the visitors as Lowe netted a follow-up to a Brackley corner-kick.
Buxton made two more substitutions and there was no doubting that the hosts battled on to the very end but the visitors' stranglehold was unshakeable. Naturally there was disappointment with the result, but Brackley's quality should not be under-estimated and the Saints occupy a mid-table berth solely on account of several early-season home defeats but certainly looked likely play-off participants again.
On Saturday at Darlington (3pm), Buxton turn to Isuzu F.A. Trophy action seeking a first victory in the competition since 2020, with a positive outcome certain on the day.

Bucks: Bucks: Grant; Mann, Ravenhill (Delap), Burton; Stobbs, Sault (Trueman), Coleman, Williams; Elliott, Popoola, De Girolamo (Fitzhugh). Unused Sub: Tomlinson & Rose

Saturday 9th November Scunthorpe United (1) 2 Buxton (1) 3 ATT 3787

A magnificent performance in both attack and defence on Saturday saw Buxton deservedly topple league-leaders Scunthorpe United and climb two places to be third in the table, another new NLN high for the club.
Previously unbeaten at home, the Iron were second-best to a Buxton team that is now undefeated in six matches after worrying their fans by losing seven of the previous eight NLN fixtures. This remarkable reversal of form coincided with the arrival of talented Leeds United loanee Cian Coleman, to join captain Connor Kirby in centre midfield. The latter, with five goals in four games, has rightly claimed the recent headlines but at Glanford Park it was Coleman, with a superbly varied, "perfect" hat-trick who took the goal-scoring honours.
In the 28th minute a penetrative visiting attack set up left wing-back Josh Williams for a close-range shot that was blocked, but the opportunist Coleman was nearby to force the ball home with his right foot to give his team a lead, which unfortunately lasted only three minutes. The Bucks conceded in one of their very few disappointing moments with home defender Kouogun heading in unchallenged from a free-kick. Thereafter exchanges were even until the 65th minute when it was Coleman's turn to head home as Buxton scored in such a manner from a corner-kick for the first time all season  While the Iron then made four substitutions in as many minutes as they desperately sought a second equaliser, the visitors, who had from the outset come to win rather than draw the match, continued to press forward whenever possible and in the 77th minute Coleman completed his hat-trick with the best goal of the afternoon. Fabulous, tight inter-passing by the excellent Tommy Elliott and Coleman in the heart of the home rearguard gave the latter the opportunity to net in composed fashion with his left foot for an ultimately decisive two-goal advantage.
Sensationally and without a Buxton precedent, central midfielders Kirby and Coleman have together contributed 10 goals of the 16 scored in the last five outings.
Yet this proud victory was far, far more than a one-man show as there were heroes all over the pitch. Kirby, already renowned for his mileage in matches, led by example, while the equally experienced Elliott had many splendid moments on the ball besides his major part in the splendidly-worked third goal.
Despite conceding two goals, the second by Roberts from a corner-kick in the fourth of 10 added minutes, the defenders deserve much praise for their disciplined resistance, especially as they had lost key man Kieran Burton to injury as early as the 12th minute. Catching the eye in particular in his new centre-back role was Liam Ravenhill, but the whole team was outstanding for its admirable work-rate.
With a vocal home crowd and a noisy visiting contingent of 139 providing a lively atmosphere, this absorbing, intense contest was a fine advert for NLN soccer, with the outcome in doubt to the very end. With eight minutes of added time already played, the hosts had a clear chance for an equaliser from a free-kick 20 yards out and in a central position, but Callum Roberts, widely regarded a few years ago, pre-serious injury, as an outstanding prospect, fired high over True Grant's bar, the 'keeper having made a save from a powerful header just two minutes earlier.
So, the old "horses for courses" adage was borne out once more as Scunthorpe, high-flying both last-season and this, failed for a fourth time out of four, three of them at home, to get the better of the Bucks.
Yet this Tuesday's home fixture (at 7.45 pm) versus mid-table yet improving Brackley Town will present an equally difficult but altogether different challenge. The Saints have reached the Emirates FA Cup second round, have lost just once away from home, have conceded a mere three goals in their last seven NLN fixtures and stand sixth (to Buxton's 2nd place) in the "form" table. Next Saturday the Bucks travel to Darlington for the Isuzu FA Trophy, round 2, tie (at 3pm).
Bucks: Bucks: Grant; Mann, Ravenhill, Burton (Delap); Stobbs, Sault (De Girolamo), Kirby, Coleman (Rose), Williams; Elliott (Fitzhugh), Popoola. Unused Sub: Tomlinson
 

Tuesday 5th November Buxton (1) 2 Scarborough Athletic (0) 0

A goal in each half on Tuesday evening by bang-in-form captain Connor Kirby secured full points for Buxton, lifting the club to the dizzy heights of fifth in the table, the highest position yet achieved in its third Vanarama National League North season. Just two weeks and five matches ago, the Bucks stood 19th.
In a richly entertaining match of much enterprise and skilful attacking play, two crucial first-half refereeing decisions undeniably went Buxton's way and set up the victory. 
In the 18th minute Josh Popoola's headed flick sent the pacy Ben Sault through the middle towards goal, but 23 yards out ex-Silverlander Alex Brown brought him down and was dismissed for his denial of a clear scoring opportunity. Kirby's free-kick narrowly cleared the bar.
To this point the fast-paced exchanges were even as both teams looked threatening in attack. After their Emirates FA Cup defeat at Burton, Scarborough selected an attacking 4-4-2 line-up, while the hosts had Jack Stobbs, returning from injury, at right wing-back and similarly Liam Ravenhill was restored to centre-defence in place of Finn Delap, whose loan from Burton Albion has been extended by a further month.
The Bucks twice went close inside the first five minutes. Popoola held the ball up nicely and centrally for the supporting Cian Coleman, whose powerful, low, 19-yard drive passed narrowly wide of the Railway End goal, then the latter let fly again almost at once, with his goal-bound shot deflected for a corner. Scarborough also produced a promising attack but ex-Farsley striker Mulhern shot high and wide.
Brown's dismissal ultimately changed the nature of the contest but for virtually the remainder of the half the visitors matched Buxton's attacking efforts with their fast, accurate passing a feature. Yet their defence throughout looked vulnerable to the penetrative ball forward, with the excellent Tommy Elliott's movement off the ball catching the eye as the Bucks played on the perceived weakness.
   However, in the second quarter of the match they did allow the pace to slacken and the goal in the 45th minute came as something of a surprise, with Sault brought down by ex-Guiseley centre-back Thornton, for Kirby to net expertly past 'keeper Whitley, who had saved a Burton "spot-kick" on Saturday.
So Buxton began the second half clearly needing to double their advantage to see off the still occasionally dangerous Seadogs and a managerial master-stroke in the 57th minute did much to effect it. The substitution of injured left-back Josh Williams didn't bring the expected defensive replacement but instead saw the rearguard reduced to three and striker Diego De Girolamo introduced to present a four-man attack-force, thus mostly keeping the initiative.
Nonetheless, home 'keeper True Grant's sure handling was needed on several occasions, when catching a downward header at a Scarborough corner then holding Mulhern's powerful drive, but he needed good fortune, at 1-0, when his attempted booted clearance rebounded from the nearby Mulhern's body to pass narrowly wide of goal.
Meanwhile the Bucks pressed forward regularly. Popoola's pass set up Stobbs for a diagonal low cross that eluded three attackers, then Leeds United loanee Coleman made a fine run to force a corner-kick and De Girolamo set up Sault for a shot that passed wide. The important second goal arrived in the 73rd minute as the rampant Kirby arrived late near goal to rifle home Popoola's low cross from the right, effectively securing the points. It was his fifth strike in the last four games, a sequence that began with the arrival of his excellent centre-midfield partner Coleman, a development which has given the captain the confidence to advance more regularly.
After the goal the Bucks managed proceedings very effectively, introducing the remaining four subs in five minutes late in the game to reduce the final possibility of a Scarborough revival.
Bucks: Grant; Mann, Ravenhill, Burton (Delap); Stobbs, Sault (Fitzhugh), Kirby (Rose), Coleman, Williams (De Girolamo); Elliott (Tomlinson), Popoola.