Controversy as referee apologises to Buxton FC for Bamber Bridge's winning offside goal

After three consecutive away wins, Buxton had an excellent opportunity to make it four on Saturday but paid the penalty for a poor start, followed by a host of missed chances – enough to win two or three games – and capped by a deciding goal shown on camera to be offside.

Misplaced passes and shoddy defensive work handed the initiative to Brig before the home side scored in the fifth minute. Blackpool loanee, Roache, fired a penetrating, diagonal ball in from the right for a former adversary, Richie Allen, to tap in.

The latter was twice close to causing further damage before the Bucks began to offer a threat around the 20-minute mark, taking control and fashioning as many as four clear, goal-scoring chances with purposeful, incisive attacking play then equalising on half-time.

Ironically, after all these opportunities fashioned in open play, it was from a Tom Elliott corner-kick that Buxton equalised with a powerful Nico near-post header in a puzzling third-minute of added time.

Diego worked a neat one-two in the 70th-minute only to fire at the 'keeper from a 16-yards, central position. By then Brig, with ex-Silverlander Adam Sumner and the classy Richie Allen forming a dangerous left-flank partnership, had become more threatening than at any time since the opening quarter and in the 82nd minute netted a most fortuitous winner.

In an offside position Green shot home and a later referee's apology for an absence of team-work with his assistant was of no consolation to Buxton.