Rushall 2-2 Buxton - match report

For the second game in succession, the Bucks were involved in a match where a side had been 2-0 down only to retrieve a share of the spoils.

However, unlike the previous outing against Stamford, this time it was Martin McIntosh’s side who were on the end of an unexpected comeback.

Things were looking rosy on Saturday, especially after 42 minutes.

The visitors had just gone two goals up against a strong team that are in contention for the play-offs, and were looking forward to getting in at the interval with a decent cushion between themselves and a side who had defeated the league leaders in their last match.

Liam Hardy and Josh Davies had registered their first goals for the club, albeit in differing circumstances.

Hardy’s goal came after he capitalised on a defensive hesitancy and got to the ball before the Rushall goalkeeper, leaving him the easy task of slotting into an empty net.

The lead was then doubled on 42 minutes when Davies’ corner went straight in, to the shock of almost everyone inside the ground.

Up until that point McIntosh’s men had probably edged the game but couldn’t have envisaged that they would be 2-0 up.

However, the lead didn’t last long as Stanley Mugisha prodded home after a scramble inside the Bucks’ box, just on the stroke of half-time.

The goal came at a crucial time and it certainly gave the hosts added incentive as the teams re-emerged after the break.

The Bucks were under the cosh for large parts of the second half and after a sequence of extended pressure, the hosts earned a penalty when Neil Stevens clumsily brought down Karl Ashton inside the box.

However, from the resulting spot-kick James Dance’s tame effort was parried away by Andy Warrington.

Just when Buxton thought they would hold on for the unlikely victory, they were denied in the cruellest of fashions.

Rushall levelled in the last minute from the penalty spot, with Dance rectifying his earlier miss to break Buxton hearts.

Bucks: Warrington, Green, Ludlam, Brooks, Palmer, Taylor, Davies, Stevens, King, Hardy, Morris.

Att: 213