Barraclough fires brace to earn Buxton vital win over Stamford

Martin McIntosh’s side recorded their fourth double of the season despite the fact they played a man light for almost the entire second half after seeing Alastair Taylor dismissed.

Buxton started the brighter and Barraclough headed narrowly wide from an inswinging Jamie Green free-kick, before home stopper Myles Wright had to be at his best to keep out Jake Newman’s drive at the second attempt.

Buxton then saw an effort cleared off the line before they drew first blood on 21 minutes.

It was defender Chris Salt who opened the scoring, heading home from a Green corner to notch his first goal in Bucks’ colours.

Buxton looked in control without applying a killer second,

However, events at the opening of the second half turned fortunes on their head.

Newman’s close-range equaliser and Taylor’s sending-off handed the initiative to Stamford.

It then took Buxton time to re-group and stabilise the situation.

The return of the much-missed Tom Buckley helped considerably and it wasn’t long before Barraclough intervened with an electric five-minute spell.

Spencer Harris’s threaded pass set up Barraclough for his first on 70 minutes, when his pace and control took him past centre-back Hill before pulling his low shot across Stamford’s ‘keeper from a narrow angle and into the far corner of the net.

Sub Alex Wiles then put through an excellent through-ball for Barraclough, who sprinted away from his markers before finishing with aplomb.

Bucks: Wright, J Bembo-Leta, Salt, Young, Green, Taylor, Ravenhill, Harris, Doran, Barraclough, Worsfold.

Att: 211