The Bucks unveiled their latest signing before the local ‘derby’ pre-season match at Macclesfield FC on Saturday. Left-sided centre-half Kieran Burton (Pictured) has joined the club for a fee from Hartlepool United and fitted straight into the team, alongside Stockport County loanee Ethan Mann, for the match at ‘Macc’.
It was the hosts that had the better of the first half chances against a Bucks team still lacking several players through injury and unavailability, but manager John McGrath shuffled the starting line-up with Josh Popoola starting further forward on the left and Ethan Fitzhugh swapping to the right. Macclesfield were showing off their new signings with several former National League players in the starting line-up. Dutch right-winger Justin Johnson impressed down the right side early on, but True Grant in the Buxton goal was rarely threatened. After the break the Bucks started to show more as an attacking force and took the lead through Josh Popoola netting from close range after Ben Sault ran on to a long ball from Mann and crossed from the right-hand byline. ‘Macc’ were awarded a penalty on 76 minutes when the ball was handled in the area, but John Rooney’s spot-kick was saved well by Grant, diving down low to his left to keep the ball out. The Bucks lead was doubled on 82 minutes when the influential Sault broke down the middle and when he fed Fitzhugh to his right, the former Leicester City man stroked the ball home beyond substitute keeper Tom Scott. (Scott had come on at half-time for former Buxton stopper Max Dearnley).
A big shout out to the Buxton following at Macclesfield who travelled in numbers and made some great noise in the crowd of 598.
The Bucks are next in action on Tuesday with a return to the Tarmac Silverlands Stadium and the visit of an Accrington Stanley xi for a 7-45 kick-off. The pre-season campaign completes next Saturday with an away trip to Stafford Rangers.
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