Reed was given a warm welcome by fans, but it was Buxton's newest signing striker Nathan James who had a day to remember with the opening goal on his debut.

Reed showed some of the skills that made him so popular with the Silverlands faithful, but his first minute header went over the bar. Cammell Laird were stifled and struggled to put the Buxton goal under sustained pressure as the home team dominated.

On nine minutes James, signed during the week from Harrogate Town, did well after a slip to get the ball to Gavin Knight who put a good cross into the box. Michael Towey appeared to send goalward but as the Buxton fans celebrated Cammell Laird keeper Richard Whiteside somehow managed to stop it on the line.

Two minutes later Buxton got their breakthrough they deserved when Scott Maxfield blocked a Cammell Laird attack the ball fell to Paul Walker, Buxton's best player, who put the ball into the path of James who made no mistake with only the keeper to beat.

Walker was at the heart of most of Buxton attacks and it was his interception that created Buxton's second after just 14 minutes with Towey to benefit. It looked as though Towey had held on to the ball for too long but he shook off the close attention of the visiting defence to turn his man and fire Buxton further in front.

The third goal came after Walker had shown some impressive skill and determination to get past the Cammell Laird defence. Under the close attention of two of them he refused to be crowded out and managed to slide the ball between them and shrug of their challenge before eventually being felled in the box. Gavin Knight coolly scoring from the resulting penalty.

Buxton could have stretched their lead still further in the first half with a Knight effort just off target.

Just before the break Cammell Laird broke through but their effort was straight at Scott Hartley.

In the second half Buxton's lead was never under serious threat although the visitors should have pulled a goal back. Only a great save from Scott Hartley at full stretch just after the hour mark ensured a good effort from Luke Holden was tipped over the bar.

Buxton: Hartley, Black, Agus, Bowker, Anderson (83 Lees), Maxfield, Turley (64 Smith), Towey, James (70 Balfe), Knight, Walker.
Att: 387.