Trialist hits a treble as Buxton prove too strong for young Huddersfield side

One of the expected features of pre-season is the wide variety of opponents encountered and there was certainly a broad gulf between the worldly-wise, experienced physicality of Worksop Town last Tuesday and Saturday's youthful Huddersfield side.

However, these opponents did have one thing in common as both were reduced to ten men shortly after half-time for fouls by defenders.

And McGrath was delighted with what he saw.

He said: “I thought we were excellent, very exciting with loads of energy and pressed very well as a unit.

"We worked on that all week and the high quality showed when we gained possession and I was really pleased with it.

"When you work on something for a couple of weeks and then you see it on match day it’s good because the hard work is put in from Monday to Friday and it’s for the players to put into practice on a Saturday.”

Of the five men missing at Worksop, three were back for the recently-arranged encounter but attackers Djavan Pedro and Jack Stobbs have yet to recover.

Nonetheless the Bucks dominated throughout and, driving towards the Ashwood End, went close in the first minute as a promising trialist saw his close-range effort pawed away by 'keeper Reever, but there was to be no escape for the visitors ten minutes later as another trialist striker netted Diego De Girolamo's low cross.

The scorer again went close with a hooked shot just wide of the far post. Then five minutes before the interval he doubled his tally, again from close range, as he converted the trialist left-back's diagonal ball. Yet the goal was made possible by 'keeper True Grant's inch-perfect, 60-yard pass to the left flank, surely a contender already for the assist of the season.

Soon afterwards the visitors made their best opening to date but Falls fired high over the bar from 15 yards.

The dismissal of defender Mishhro only three minutes into the second half emphasised Buxton's continuing control but the double-marksman twice couldn't net from promising positions before he did complete his hat-trick in the 74th minute, close to goal, converting a rapid move built by De Girolamo and midfield substitute Liam Ravenhill.

Almost immediately, the visitors' only experienced player, the giant 6'9" striker Kyle Hudlin (ex-Solihull), couldn't hit the target after skilfully creating his own opportunity.

Finally a rapid run through midfield and a perfect pass by another midfield substitute, Will Trueman, set up De Girolamo but he shot wide.

It was a third consecutive clean sheet prior to the double-header versus neighbouring teams Matlock Town at home on Tuesday (7.45pm) – after this week’s Advertiser went to press – and Macclesfield away on Saturday (3pm).