Jason Gilchrist hits winner as Buxton beat Gainsborough Trinity to go top

Buxton defeated snow, rain, mist and Gainsborough Trinity to top the table for the first time in seven weeks with a 1-0 win, writes Tony Tomlinson.
Buxton pile on the pressureBuxton pile on the pressure
Buxton pile on the pressure

Missed first-half chances and a lack-lustre second-half display made for a closer result than need have been or seemed likely early on.

But it was a valuable victory in a game made possible by the morning snow-clearing work of a small army of some 30 volunteers.

With Tommy Elliott returning in place of injured Jamie Ward, an almost totally dominant first-half performance, built on sound defence and the central midfield prowess of the excellent Lindon Meikle and Chris Dawson, provided the crowd with rich entertainment as Buxton outplayed the 17th-placed visitors, who have won away just once.

A number of clear chances were missed with most of them created by the pace, power and accurate crossing of left-winger Warren Clarke.

Jason Gilchrist's headed wide on four minutes, before Dawson hit the post from 20 yards.

Gilchrist fired over as Buxton kept up the pressure.

But he was on the mark with a composed close-range finish on 29 minutes.

Mackenzie Heaney forced Matt Yates into a fine, low save with Gilchrist's drilled return blocked.

Trinity had barely existed as an attacking force but in the 44th-minute Freddie Draper was denied at point-blank range by Robinson.

The second half proved a disappointment both for Buxton and the crowd as the hosts partly lost their earlier fluency and cutting edge, with Elicha Ahui now making a more effective job of containing Clarke.

Yet Trinity, despite enjoying more possession than previously, barely troubled the home rearguard that was well-marshalled by Josh Granite, though Cieron Keane fired a 25-yard drive wide.

The Bucks continued to search for a decisive second goal with Clarke blazing over on 68 minutes.

A flurry of substitutions filled the final quarter, including ex-Buxton player Brad Grayson for Trinity and for the Bucks in the last 10 minutes came the much-awaited return of Diego De Girolamo following his long absence with an injury.