Buxton blasted as Seadogs go five points clear

Scarborough Athletic soared to five points clear at the top of the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Premier Division with a 4-0 demolition of visiting Buxton on Tuesday night.
..
.

It was the Bucks’ heaviest league defeat of the season as they were sunk by two goals late in each half by the rampant Seadogs before a crowd of 1,005 at the Flamingo Lane Stadium.

The Bucks made four changes with Meade, Ennis, Gee and Hardy in for Ash Young, Oyibo, Omotola and Nico.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the home side made the breakthrough on 35 minutes with a far post header from Bailey Gooda.

A Michael Coulson penalty on 39 minutes then gave the hosts a two goal advantage at the break.

Despite a better second half performance, Buxton were undone by a late brace by the league’s leading goalscorer, James Walshaw as he headed home on 76 minutes before adding another five minutes from time.

Buxton had left Farsley Celtic with a 1-1 draw on Saturday but believe they were denied all three points by the officials.

Hide Ad

The controversial incident occurred in the 70th minute when Liam Hardy, back as an interval substitute after midweek illness, broke quickly in the inside-left channel to have his goal-bound shot half-saved by keeper Trenerry, with the ball then cleared after striking the post.

Hide Ad

However, the consensus of opinion, both Farsley and Buxton, was that the ball had crossed the goal-line before the assistant reached a position from which to judge.

On a windy afternoon that hampered the football for both sides, centre half Jack Higgins punished the visitors for leaving him unmarked from a free kick to power home a header on 25 minutes.

It was a deserved lead as Farsley had looked the more dangerous side, with ex-Bucks player Paul Walker forcing Theo Roberts to an early save with his legs and Spencer shooting wide from a good position.

Hide Ad

For the visitors a Greg Young header had forced a corner and Tolani Omotola had failed to convert a couple of opportunities.

But Buxton, with newcomer Scott Sephton making his debut in midfield, roared back level within nine minutes as right-back Brad Roscoe received a square pass and powered in a shot from 25 yards that gave Trenerry in the Farsley goal no chance for his third goal of the season.

Hide Ad

Still without five front-line players, Buxton battled through to the break all square with chances even.

However, despite facing corner-to-corner wind after the interval the visitors shaded proceedings overall in the second half.

Hide Ad

Spencer’s near-post shot forced an early unproductive corner was followed by a Buxton one from a neatly-worked three-man free-kick.

Gradually the Bucks asserted themselves, especially as the wind reduced in strength towards the closing stages.

For Celtic, Ben Atkinson could shoot only into the side netting but the visitors went closer.

Hide Ad

Jude Oyibo created an opening for Hardy, whose power drive forced Trenerry to a high save, then the striker did superbly well, though faced by four defenders, to set up fellow substitute, Bradley Grayson, for a low shot kept out by the keeper’s legs.

Hide Ad

But it was the Hardy strike that proved the be the biggest post-match talking point.

Seventh-placed Buxton will now attempt to bounce back from Tuesday’s hiding at Scarborough Athletic with a home game against bottom placed North Ferriby United on Saturday before a Tuesday night trip to Hednesford Town.