Late goal sends Buxton to defeat at Marine

It was a mostly disappointing afternoon for the Bucks and their many travelling fans at Crosby as the visitors struggled to engage home 'keeper Spinelli for nearly 80 minutes despite enjoying an overall 70 per cent possession but, after four successful substitutions had been made, they at last clicked into gear, equalised and suddenly looked the more likely winners, only to concede a bizarre second goal at the very end.

Buxton's only change was for 'keeper Paul Cooper to retain his position as Joe Young was not considered after going off injured the previous Saturday.

As ever he very much looked the part, looking particularly secure in the air under challenge from several very tall 'Mariners' but, among others, he was arguably at fault for Marine's winning goal.

Cooper was busy immediately as Marine seized the initiative, making three attempts on goal, none of them threatening, in the first two minutes. The hosts continued to press, and scored in the ninth minute following a lofted free-kick from the right. The ball fell to close-season signing Newell from Bala Town and he netted at close range.

Buxton's wide men looked the best bet for progress in open play, but Spinelli had still not been tested when captain Connor Kirby hit the top of the bar with a fiercely-struck free-kick from 27 yards after 21 minutes and that unsatisfactory situation still applied when another Kirby free-kick from distance cleared the bar just prior to half-time.

By then, there had been a couple of intense physical incidents which happily were not repeated in the second half when the Bucks continued to strive in vain for clear openings.

By midway through the second-half, Buxton manager John McGrath had made four changes in the attempt to turn possession into penetration in attack. Midfielder Cian Coleman had replaced Callum Ebanks at half-time, then Deniche Hill, Ryan Viggars and Tate Campbell were introduced at the expense of George Ward, Tai Sodje and Will Trueman.

The revised line-up in the familiar formation took only a little time to settle and in the 71st minute Hill and Brennan combined for the latter's cross to provide Johnny Johnston with a close-range header that forced Spinelli's first save of the afternoon.

Then in the 79th minute the same partnership on the left saw the winger advance along the left by-line to set up the ever-predatory Coleman just a few yards out and also as ever his finishing was assured. At 1-1 the initiative was now firmly with the visitors and to all there seemed to be only one likely winner.

Just two minutes on, Brennan was again the provider as Campbell from 16 yards forced the 'keeper into a fine, low save at the expense of a corner-kick.

Marine made two more changes in an attempt to stem the tide but Whelan, one of the recent substitutes, was sent off in the 94th minute after seeing yellow twice in his six minutes on the pitch. The dismissal served further to emphasise Buxton's authority, but it was the Mariners' surprise 98th-minute goal which won the game as, to their credit, the Bucks were trying so hard still to find a winner.

However, they left the back door open as another Brennan corner-kick was cleared rapidly upfield. Cooper was forced to advance towards half-way to make a clearance but that proved inadequate and from 30 yards, the hosts' longest- serving player, winger Sinclair-Smith, found a perfect finish as his looping shot cleared Hill who had got back to the goal-line.

Defeat was indeed stunning, but the successful substitutions made should have given the management team a clear view of how to proceed at home to point-less Hereford on Tuesday.

Bucks: Cooper; Robinson, Bardell, Ward (Viggars), Burton; Kirby, Trueman (Campbell); Johnston, Sodje (Hill), Brennan; Ebanks (Coleman). Unused Subs: Melville, Martin, McLean