Boss Steve Cunningham gives his verdict as Buxton miss the chance to go top of the Northern Premier League

The Bucks were pegged back in stoppage time and had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Nantwich.

It also saw captain Josh Granite red-carded in an evening to forget for the promotion-chasers.

“I feel sorry for the boys after last night,” the Bucks boss said. “You have seen a team dominate from the first minute to the 91st minute.

“We have had numerous chances to put the game to bed. We played quality football and had high energy levels.

“We came under some pressure every now and then, but that is football at this level.

“We are sitting top of the league in the 91st minute and then in the 92nd minute, the only chance they had on goal, they score.

“Then we lose Josh Granite 30 seconds later. It is just disappointing that we have thrown that chance away, from being our wins out of five and four clean sheets, that's the fine margins we are at.

“The game should have been put to bed in the first half.”

Cunningham now wants his players to learn and take the game as a wake up call.

“This is the toughest league that there is,” he said, “There are many factors - referees, pitches, opposition teams and even the mentality of your own players.

“This team is an experienced team and unfortunately they didn’t deliver in the moment they needed to.

“That is harsh because they have delivered for the majority of the season. We have got big players missing and players playing every minute of every game and players playing out of position.

“We have just got to ride through it. We didn’t deserve to draw that game, we deserved to win it on the balance of play and chances created.

“We have to have a wake up call, but we can’t let it affect our confidence.

“We have to put teams to bed or the opposition will sniff a chance to get something at the end of games if they can stay in them.”

Buxton face Witton Albion at the weekend with Cunningham admitting it is a game that now comes with a little more added importance.

“They will look at us and know we will want to bounce back,” he added. “We can go top if South Shields don't get a result.

“We are hunting the win, more so for personal pride. The last two results have not been great, but we did enough last night to win the game.

“We didn’t play badly or below levels, we just didn't take our chances.

“There has to be a bounce back, but it can't be a priority that we have to prove people wrong.

“If we play like we did last night then we win the game nine times out of 10 all season.

“We want more of the same, we just need to be more clinical and resolute in our game management.”

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