A brace of goals by Buxton's Ash Chambers proved insufficient to take the points against visitors Stafford Rangers, who scored twice in the last five minutes to run out 3-2 winners in front of a Tarmac Silverlands crowd of 890 (Saturday January 1st).
Because of injuries within the squad, Bucks' manager Steve Cunningham fielded a weakened starting line-up and was unable to name a full complement of substitutes. The bench included Ben Milnes, not fully fit, and youth players Ewan Catt and Jack Dillingham.
Cunningham, however, accepting the effect of injuries, was not prepared to blame them for the last three results. He said: "We're missing absolutely key players and of course that has consequences. It affects how we are able to play. But we've asked others to fill gaps, sometimes out of position, and most have met the challenge well. Everyone is committed.
"There's no game where we've been outshone, although I was disappointed with our second-half performance against FC United. Against Stafford we maintained control for long periods. From 2-1 up it could have been three or four, but it wasn't. We didn't put the game to bed, then failed to lock them out at the back.
"Apologies to the fans for not getting the recent results we all want, but we're addressing it and there will be change. Meanwhile, our fans are giving us amazing support."
Full Match Report HERE
Next for the Bucks is a trip to fellow promotion contenders Bamber Bridge on Saturday.