Buxton's promising start to the season continues at Grantham Town

Success was less comfortable than Saturday as the Bucks didn’t have the luxury of a second, deciding goal though they made sufficient openings but only once found the quality to convert but what quality it was.

At the end of the first half, Lee Bennett developed a Danny Burns pass to release Nicky Walker virtually on the right by-line.

From that seemingly impossible angle the winger somehow squuezed his low,eight-yard shot past ‘keeper Turner into goal.

By then the Bucks had made a majority of the openings, two of them in the first 20 minutes from superb Adam Sumner crosses but neither of the strikers could manage a clean finish due to tenacious home defending.

Then just before the half-hour Turner mis-read the bounce but Bradley Grayson, in behind him, was again thwarted by the determination of two defenders.

Seven minutes later came the clearest chance as the striker did so well to hook back a left-flank cross but Bennett at the stretch shot wide from six yards.

A confident home side enjoyed an even share of possession but good defending by the Buxton back line, sound handling by Jan Budtz and the tracking back of the wingers limited Grantham’s efforts on goal.

Early on, Lee Shaw made a run into a dangerous position on the left but lacked a threatening final ball before Budtz watched a Ryan glancing header pass wide.

Soon after the interval the Bucks had the best chance of the whole second half to double their advantage.

Walker showed his typically fine ball control to be able to cross from the right but Niall Doran’s shot lacked both the placement and the power to beat Turner.

Nicky then got a couple of shots away,the first ricocheting for a corner while the second passed wide from 18 yards after Grayson had done well to set him up.

The introduction of Alastair Taylor sustained the goal threat and his dangerous cross caused mayhem in the home penalty area but no goal resulted.

The Gingerbreads attacked sporadically with Galinski heading high over at a corner and Sumner showing his defensive ability when Greg Young miskicked.

As time passed Grantham were still in contention and mounted some pressure but it was of the huffing and puffing variety as the Bucks stood firm and Purcicoe’s late 25-yard free-kick sailed high over the bar.

This encounter with Grantham had been an intriguing prospect as the two teams had finished together in mid-table last April but, with the same management teams, had chosen different paths over the summer.

Town had just one new face in their starting line-up compared with Buxton’s seven and on the night it was the visitors who looked to have the greater potential for success though the Gingerbreads can certainly aspire to a top-half situation.

BUXTON: Budtz; Bembo-Leta(J), Burns, Young, Sumner; Doran (Taylor 60), Evrington, Abbott, Walker (Green 83); Bennett, Grayson (Jackson 67). Subs not used: Lucas, Bembo-Leta(F).