Buxton lost to a 90th minute goal, the only one of the game, in their Isuzu FA Trophy tie at Darlington, Saturday November 16. It was a disappointing end to a tussle which saw the Bucks edge the first half, then defend doggedly under sustained pressure after the break.
Team manager John McGrath included Connor Kirby, back from suspension, Finn Delap and Ethan Fitzhugh in his starting line-up. All played an effective part in the first 45 minutes, with Josh Popoola and Diego De Girolamo the main threats to the home team's back line.
In the second half, Darlington found an extra gear and the Bucks retreated. The Quakers had eight shots on target, giving True Grant in the Bucks goal a busy time. Finally, as the game moved into stoppage time and with a penalty shoot-out looming, Grant was beaten by a thunderbolt from Cedric Main, who side-stepped two defenders before unleashing his powerful shot.
John McGrath stated his team weren't good enough on the day and need to take stock before returning to league action next Saturday, at home to Oxford City, a team that's achieving better results on the road than on their own ground.
He said: "Our side that beat Scunthorpe last week wasn't the one that turned up today. We moved the ball with fluency in the first half, yet it was a very different story in the second half.
"We started to sit back and let Darlington dominate us. That didn't make good viewing. We were all over the place shape-wise. So, there's hard work ahead, with a week to put things right."
Saturday's game against Oxford City at the Tarmac Silverlands kicks off at 3pm. It's the season's first meeting of these sides.
댓글