More away-day delight for resurgent Buxton
UniBond Premier Division Burscough 0, Buxton 1 BUXTON'S third consecutive league away win on Saturday moved the Silverlands outfit up to mid-table.
A typically hard-working performance, allied to tight defensive work after the interval, earned full points in a dour battle played out in a strong, swirling wind.
Gavin Knight scored the vital goal, once more with a delightfully executed chip, and then the Bucks withstood late home pressure by virtue of utterly determined, resolute defensive work.
Scott Hartley returned in goal and Neil Stevens in midfield had his first start for two months as Michael Towey was ruled out with a back injury, while Scott Maxfield was making his 100th appearance for the club.
The closest Burscough went to scoring all afternoon was in the fifth minute. A half-cleared corner fell to Roberts, whose 12-yard drive rattled the bar.
The Bucks soon settled, and with another referee might well have had a penalty only five minutes later as centre back Connolly's clumsy tackle brought down Kieran Lugsden.
With wind and slope in their favour they dominated possession without creating clear openings, and the next two scoring chances fell to Burscough's Cayne Hanley.
After 27 minutes, Hanley inexplicably found himself in acres of space on the left, but took his shot too early and badly missed the target.
Ten minutes later, a through ball by left back Bowen set him up again, but Hartley brilliantly diverted his goal-bound shot.
In the first minute of first half added time, Knight showed just how to finish. A Burscough error allowed Mark Reed to make a finely-judged pass into Knight's path, and the striker netted with confidence.
With the elements unrelenting, the home side throughout the second half pressed hard for an equaliser. First Grant Black got across well to thwart an attack, then a Bowen corner and a Roberts header saw Bayliss hook his shot wide, before Lugsden's defensive header foiled another probe on the right.
A hamstring injury to Knight and a nasty blow to Reed's head virtually obliterated the visitors' attacking threat, especially as Dorryl Proffitt made little impact, and it was left to an effective rearguard action to seal the points.
Hartley's handling was secure and defensive errors were avoided, but Buxton's day was marred in added time when Black was shown a second yellow card at a time when virtually all the decisions were going Burscough's way.
Against better sides the Bucks will need to offer more in attack when defending a lead.
Buxton: Hartley, Black, Anderson, Agus, Wilcox, Lugsden, Stevens, Maxfield, Ridley, Knight (Proffitt, 58), Reed (McGaw, 89).
Attendance: 229.
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Weather for Buxton
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy snow
Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
