08 September 2009       Attendance: 267

Without doubt, Tuesday visit to Notts proved very disappointing, both in terms of the result and the performance. The early-season league table is so volatile that it gives little evidence of the strength or weakness of the great majority of the teams and so it proved here. It was 16th at home to 13th, but Town’s deserved victory lifted the club by as many as 9 places, whereas ‘the Bucks’ slipped by 2, down to 15th. This was undoubtedly not to be Buxton’s night from the outset. Already lacking the injured Agus and Black, a major motorway accident kept Mark Reed in Cheshire and then the visitors gifted Hucknall 2 early goals to give themselves a mighty uphill task against a bright, positive and, not surprisingly, confident Town side.

Hucknall had already gone close when unmarked centre-back Luke Shiels nodded home a left-flank corner after just 7 minutes and only 2 minutes later midfielder Cashall Walters tried a skimming shot from fully 35 yards to beat Scott Hartley’s dive. For the third consecutive game, ‘the Bucks’ had conceded an early goal and on this occasion the felony was doubled! Hucknall soon threatened again and Hartley saved low from Nightingale’s firmly-directed header, but Buxton counter-attacked to produce an incident which typified their fortunes that evening and with a different outcome could have altered the course of events. The ever-lively Kieran Lugdsen got in a shot from the edge of the penalty-box that took a hefty deflection, totally wrong-footing ‘keeper, Haystead but the ball passed narrowly wide of his goal. ‘The Bucks’ now looked out of sorts and persistent attempts to belt long balls forward proved fruitless, not surprisingly as they had the wind behind them! However the visitors’ attacking did improve in the match’s second quarter and after Lugsden had aimed wide, full debutant Darryl Proffitt saw Haystead save his goal-bound shot with his legs, then close to half-time, Lugsden’s threatening central run was again thwarted by the ‘keeper. The interval saw Buxton change to a 4-4-2 and again new left-winger Geoff McGaw showed promise, while Neil Stevens looked much more effective in a central role. Nonetheless Hucknall pressed forward and even Gavin Knight had to clear one effort from the line before Town took an apparently unassailable 3-goal lead just past the hour. Following a left-flank move, Deon Meikle shot home powerfully but 10 minutes later Buxton finally scored, an accurate Steve Ridley cross headed in by an unmarked Lugsden (pictured), who had taken up a striking role after injury to Proffitt. Momentarily a miracle looked possible as Knight and substitute Michael Towey both fractionally missed a piercing Lugsden cross. However, the moment soon passed and homespun Hucknall, with a clutch of players from lower levels, commendably took charge and it was Hartley who prevented a yet more comprehensive defeat with several accomplished saves.

Team: Scott Hartley, Joe Wilcox, Steve Ridley, Same Liversidge, Gregg Anderson, Scott Maxfield, Kieran Lugsden, Christail Millar, Dorryl Proffitt, Gavin Knight, Neil Stevens
Subs: Michael Towey (Millar), Geoff McGaw (Liversidge), Kyle Collins (Proffitt),
Goalscorers: Lugsden