REPORT: Buxton 3-0 Grantham Town

Buxton's three-goal first-half salvo was sufficient to earn the team's first victory of 2016.
Alex Wiles opened the scoring.Alex Wiles opened the scoring.
Alex Wiles opened the scoring.

It was well-deserved against a poor Grantham Town side which on this showing looks likely to be drawn into the scrap to avoid relegation.

Manager Martin McIntosh tweaked the line-up following the transfer to Darlington of leading scorer Liam Hardy with summer signing Ash Worsfold from Harrogate Town at last able to make his first start for the club, while in defence Joel Bembo-Leta was switched to right-back at the expense of Glenn Belezika.

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Spencer Harris remained in the centre-back position which he had occupied for most of the Frickley match.

Playing down the slope, the Bucks made the best possible start with a goal on just five minutes.

Bradley Barraclough opened up the visiting defence before squaring the ball into the goalmouth. A first effort was blocked on the line but Alex Wiles forced home the first goal from five yards.

The Gingerbreads in response enjoyed a spell of possession but 19-year-old ex-Chesterfield ‘keeper Myles Wright impressed with his safe handling of two ground shots, as he continued to do throughout the afternoon.

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With 15 minutes gone Buxton doubled their advantage, Jamie Green scoring his first goal of the season in superb style.Ash Burbeary’s penetrative pass set up the left-back for a powerful volley which gave ‘keeper Turner no chance of reaching.

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By this stage Worsfold was featuring regularly in the frequent home attacks and from Alastair Taylor’s low cross from the right,his well-placed shot forced a corner and in the 39th minute the unmarked striker did find the net,firing home from ten yards Green’s accurate cross.

Two minutes later he might have netted again,forcing Turner to save and from the rebound Barraclough’s drive was cleared from the goal-line.

After the interval, the Bucks resumed in pursuit of more goals and again went close, though a bout of `shooting-in’ brought no reward as the massed Grantham ranks blocked several goalbound efforts.

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Thereafter the match lost some of its momentum.The visitors made two more substitutions on and just after the hour but without producing any real threat to the home goal,though a long ball forward to Saunders enabled the Town striker to turn and shoot directly at Wright, who then parried a shot following a right flank move.

Worsfold took a well-earned early rest towards the end, having won his manager’s `man-of-the-match’ rating, and certainly justified the faith shown in him to be the likely successor to Hardy.

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The victory secured a third `double’ of the season and lifted the Bucks one place to 12th in the table.

Buxton: Wright, J Bembo-Leta, Harris, Young, Green; Taylor (Doran 55), Ravenhill, Wiles, Burbeary; Barraclough, Worsfold (F Bembo-Leta 78). Unused subs. Belezika, Grayson, Doyle.

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