Warren Clarke hails Buxton's spirit after battling to win over Witton Albion

The Bucks went top of the table after a 3-1 win over Witton Albion on Tuesday.

But they had to work hard for the result after 10-man Albion threatened to make it 2-2 during a spell of second-half dominance.

Tom Elliott then banged in a decisive goal with two minutes to go to end the contest.

"It was nice to get another goal and I just want to keep scoring and contributing as much as I can for the team,” he said.

“As soon as I get the ball I want to take people on. A few weeks ago we would have had situations where we could have conceded again after they got a goal back, but with the form we have been in we have a real togetherness.

“We had a sticky 20 minutes but we stuck together and managed to see it off with another goal. It was just good to get the three points.”

In the fifth minute Chris Dawson had a shot saved as the Bucks started strongly.

But Clarke got Buxton in front with his 11th of the season after he beat two men before finishing well.

It was 2-0 after 32 minutes when Clarke’s confidence and pace took him past Isaac Baldwin to set up Diego de Girolamo for an easy finish.

For Albion, worse was to follow with the dismissal of midfielder Cesaire Lingouba after seeing yellow twice inside five minutes very late in the half.

There were those in the visiting contingent who, at the interval, were full of trepidation for what seemed likely to come.

Yet the second half proved a considerable surprise as Witton not only averted a landslide of goals but also netted once through Harry Bower on 66 minutes to usher in a rather nervy spell for the fans in which even an equaliser was considered to be not out of the question.

The catalyst seemed to be the substitution of Dawson just before the hour and an early injury to his replacement, Ryan Taylor, who recovered sufficiently to ease through the last half-hour.

Dawson and Lindon Meikle had run the show in midfield but now the visitors came more into the picture.

But it was game over when headed home to seal three nervy points.