Buxton pip Southport for season’s first double

It was Southport's first visit in 30 years and their sixth consecutive away fixture but ended with a fifth successive clean sheet for Craig Elliott's men.

The Sandgrounders were mostly second-best apart from a spell after half-time in which they at last looked more threatening, and it was somewhat against the tide when the hosts netted the only goal.

Substitute Tommy Elliott, returning after illness, passed to Diego de Girolamo out on the right and cut inside to shoot low, hard and diagonally inside a post.

The goal eased the blushes of home debutant Jordan Barnett who had missed his team's clearest chance in the 22nd minute.

Brad Jackson's superb work at the right by-line and supremely accurate lofted cross to the far post set up a close-range header but the former Matlock Town midfielder missed the target.

Indeed the quality of Buxton's first-half play in attacking the Ashwood End meant it was surprising that the interval was reached without a lead.

After just six minutes Jackson let fly from a very narrow angle on the right, his fierce drive missing the far post by a mere fraction.

Four minutes later the lively Joe Ackroyd, clear on the left, fired a curling shot that was well saved by veteran goalkeeper McMillan, who then palmed onto the net roof the resulting corner kick that Josh Granite had deflected goalwards.

The visiting keeper again showed his quality in the 26th minute with a fine take from Jak McCourt's dangerous ball.

Southport's best chance in the opening half fell to Carberry in the 40th minute but his 20-yard effort passed narrowly wide.

Otherwise home keeper Theo Richardson was more than equal to what was asked of him.

What's more, his rapid release in the 42nd minute set up the alert Barnett for a 50-yard gallop on the left, but he shot directly at McMillan.

In the second half, as Southport improved, Richardson made a good and difficult save at the far post to thwart a deep, lofted centre from the right, then the visitors had a decent chance to take a lead just prior to Diego's goal, as Bainbridge, from 18 yards, volleyed wide a long-range free-kick from the right.

In the closing minutes the hosts had further half-chances to double their advantage.

The introduction as attackers of returning substitutes Elliott and Warren Clarke, who was given a warm ovation after his three-month injury absence, added another cutting edge and the latter's pull-back set up a Jackson drive that found the side-netting.

Then, when McMillan was obliged to advance 20 yards to head clear, Diego's high punt looked to be going close but the keeper rushed back to catch.

The final action saw Richardson again handling splendidly to deny Bainbridge's 20-yard ground shot and so extended his team's clean sheet record to a remarkable 529 minutes.