27 February 2010       Attendance: 250

For a second consecutive Saturday Buxton deservedly dented the promotion hopes of one of the league’s leading sides and on this occasion ended Kendal’s unbroken home record that had stretched back some 53 weeks. ‘The Bucks’ produced another convincing team performance that at no stage saw them second-best and delivered two well-taken second-half goals to seize full points.

An attacking line-up featuring 3 central midfielders and 3 strikers took the game to the Cumbrians from the outset and came closest to a first-half score in the opening minute. A Maxfield corner was only partially cleared and Grant Black’s leaping header rebounded from the bar but to a defender and just 5 minutes later the unmarked Kieran Lugsden dragged his shot from 16 yards side of the far post. Seven minutes further on the striker had another but less favourable scoring chance when a fine Tommy Agus diagonal pass put him up away up the left but his shot missed the target. Kendal after some 20 minutes at last managed a threatening attack and from the ensuing corner-kick ex-Southport centre-back Jay Connolly headed over the bar. The second quarter of the match was more even yet Buxton continued to play effectively and shortly before the interval Reed and Ridley set up Scott Maxfield for a 20 yard ground shot that passed narrowly wide.

The second half was only 5 minutes old when Lugsden was robbed of a likely scoring chance by an appalling offside decision as he moved swiftly onto a delightful through ball by Michael Towey but shortly afterwards the striker gave his team a well-earned lead with a deft header from a Maxfield inswinging free-kick. Buxton refused to abandon their positive approach by continuing to apply pressure and after a home defender erred in Kendal’s penalty area, Mark Reed’s clever back-heel proved just too strong for Towey. With 10 minutes remaining and 2 substitutions already made, Town showed their desperation by throwing substitute centre-back Melling into attack. Yet it was ‘the Bucks’ who were soon to hit the target again. Lugsden’s surging run from midfield put Reed in possession on the left and his precise cross picked out Lee Morris with his glancing header beating ‘keeper Newnes at the far post. Kendal pressed forward but Reed and Lugsden both tackled back effectively to join a visiting defence showing no cracks and at the other end Maxfield’s 40 yard lob put ‘keeper Newnes in a state of panic as he back-pedalled furiously to claw the ball out for a corner kick. Late in the game Kendal grew increasingly tetchy but the visitors kept both their cool and their firm grip on all 3 points.

Team: Scott Hartley, Grant Black, Steve Ridley, Tommy Agus, Gregg Anderson, Scott Maxfield, Christian Millar, Michael Towey, Mark Reed, Lee Morris, Kieran Lugsden
Subs: Cayne Hanley, Joe Wilcox (Morris), Greg Moseley, Sam Liversidge,
Goalscorers: Lugsden, Morris