Injury plagued Buxton currently sit 17th in the table having won just three out of their first ten league games but Reed is confident his team can reverse their fortunes.

"I still have faith in the team," he said. "I still think we are capable of a top ten place even though the table says 17th. We are trying to address that.

"At this moment in time we are not doing very well up front, not doing very well on the flanks and we want to go from getting one point to getting three.

"I'm quite happy with the back four, thats looking solid but we need to get better going forward."He added: "We are desperately looking out for forwards and we had two lads lined up but at the last minute we had to pull out because we didn't realise we are only allowed two on the field at any one time. I was gutted because we'd lined up a couple of players from Macclesfield and I had to ring them up and say they couldn't come."

Saturday's nil nil draw at home to Leigh Genesis saw Reed hand a full debut to another loan signing, Kris Matthews. He has joined the Bucks on a months loan from Eastwood Town and immediately impressed Reed.

"I thought the game was quite even to be honest. I thought we played well at the back and the new lad Kris Matthews had a very, very good game," Reed said.

"But I was very disappointed in our flank play and extremely disappointed in our forward play.

"Late in the second half Scott (Hartley) made a terrible mistake when he came out too late and brought the lad down but his penalty save was one of the best I've ever seen in my life and more than made up for his mistake."

This weekend Buxton are in FA Cup action with the visit of Blyth Spartans in the third qualifying round. But with five key players missing, the Bucks face a very tough tie against the
Blue Square North side.

Scott Maxfield will be out for several weeks with a ruptured ligament sustained in the FA Cup game against Burscough while Nathan James is awaiting a scan on his knee and could be out for two to three months.

Paul Walker is awaiting the results of some heart related tests and has been told not to play football in the meantime while Niall O'Brien is looking to be out for two or three weeks after receiving a blow to the neck.

Steve Brodie will be out for two to three weeks with groin strain that he picked up in last week's behind closed doors friendly at Hatfield Main.

Terry Bowker returned to action on Saturday against Leigh but is still not 100 per cent fit, while Gav Knight is still suspended and won't be available until the home tie against Hednesford Town on October 14.

Speaking of the game, Reed said: "It will be very difficult but it is very winnable even with all the problems we've got.

"People keep making comments but they want to realise, we have a very small squad. We're missing five key players. If you took the best five players out of Arsenal, Man United or Chelsea it would be the same.

"I have taken two teams to the first round and it is a wonderful occasion. It would be great for Buxton and I'd love to be able to take the club there. It would be great for the players and great for the club.

"It would be really good to get through and get somebody like Chesterfield or even Leeds United and see the ground packed out.

"I'd like to think the fans will get behind us for the FA Cup. If we get a good crowd against Blyth they could be the 12th man we need to push through to the next round."