Buxton miss out on chance to reclaim top spot

Lacking the injured Bennett, Danny Burns and Ricky Ravenhill returned and the Bucks had a much stronger bench, especially as Bradley Grayson returned sooner than expected.

Even so the visitors went down to a second half goal much against the run of play and have now gone four league fixtures without a win, since the outstanding victory over Whitby.

Yet here for the taking were three points that got away versus a Nantwich side defeated just once in 14 league and cup games.

The Dabbers showed an ability to pass the ball accurately on the perfect surface and took their chance when it presented itself after a lengthy period of Buxton dominance in the match’s third quarter. By then, as on Saturday, it had long been apparent that the opening goal would probably be crucial and so it proved.

The Bucks had also enjoyed much the better of the final quarter-hour of the first half but all they had to show was hitting the goal frame in the 34th-minute.

Brad Abbott’s fine incisive pass set up Jamie Green for a 16-yard low drive across keeper Parton whose dive produced the merest touch but that was enough to divert the ball onto the post and away to safety. Nantwich showed their passing ability but didn’t really threaten the Buxton goal before the only goal of the game arrived.

Right-back White’s determined run forced a corner but it was from a counter-attack that they scored their 73rd minute winner.

Substitute Ryan Brooke, formerly of Altrincham, fired home low, just inside a post from 16 yards. Grayson came on for Everington but neither he nor fellow sub Jamie Jackson, on at half-time for the injured Alastair Taylor, could make an impact and it took some excellent Buxton defending at the end to thwart Town substitute and ex-Silverlander Osebi Abadaki.

BUXTON: Budtz; Bembo-Leta (J), Burns, Young, Green; Taylor (Jackson 45), Ravenhill, Everington (Grayson 78), Doran; Abbott; Walker. Subs not used: Bembo-Leta (F), Brooks, Williams.