Buxton have neighbouring NPL East Division, club, Stocksbridge, to thank not only for agreeing to the fixture late on after Stalybridge's withdrawal, but also for providing worthy opposition in an entertaining encounter. Nonetheless 'the Bucks' again showed enough promise in both halves for another successful campaign.
Buxton in the opening period attacked the Ashwood End, featuring 6 of the championship-winning stars and several promising trialists, one of whom was rightly entrusted with all the corners and free-kicks, so that early on first Sean Newton, then a trialist centre-back, missed the target with set-piece headers from his deliveries. However, in the 14th-minute, the dead-ball specialist cleverly fed Diego with a free-kick and the unmarked striker made the most of the opportunity. At the other end, approaching quarter-time, visiting striker, Poole, wriggled clear on the right but his shot only found Theo's side-netting. A feature of this most watchable half was the punishing pace of Warren Clarke as he frequently outstripped defenders to produce several telling crosses, yet it was a diagonal low pass, just prior to half-time, that set up the second goal, with a trialist striker finding the net.
The expected changes for the second half saw appearances by new signings Jack McKay, Jake Moult and Declan Poole, all of whom looked the part. Additionally, a trialist 'keeper was given an outing, while James Hardy and Jason Gilchrist likewise featured, with the latter showing composure and confidence in a 67th-minute,15-yard clinical finish from an accurate pass to complete the scoring.
We are next in action this coming Saturday with an away trip at the Moss Rose to take on the new-look Macclesfield FC. Kick-off is 3pm
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