Buxton exited the FA Trophy falling to a 1-0 defeat against Darlington courtesy of a late strike from Cedric Main at Blackwell Meadows.
The Bucks started the game strongly, pressing Darlington early and earning two corners within the first few minutes. However, Darlington’s defense held firm, with Ethan Mann’s header being cleared away during the second set-piece opportunity.
Buxton’s best early chance came in the 11th minute when Ethan Fitzhugh and Diego De Girolamo combined brilliantly with a slick one-two passing move. Fitzhugh found himself in space but could only shoot directly into the hands of Darlington’s goalkeeper.
Darlington then had their first notable chance shortly after, as Main was played through on goal. However, Buxton’s goalkeeper, True Grant, reacted swiftly to deny the forward in a one-on-one situation.
The Bucks responded with another well-executed passing move, culminating in Jack Stobbs delivering a pinpoint cross to Josh Popoola, whose header flew narrowly over the crossbar.
Buxton suffered an early setback as Finn Delap had to be substituted after going down off the ball, with Josh Williams coming on as his replacement.
As halftime approached, Main tried his luck from the edge of the box, but his effort was easily gathered by Grant.
The first half ended with Darlington missing a big opportunity as Jack Maskell found himself at the back post but could only find the side netting.
Fitzhugh had an early attempt in the second half that forced Darlington’s keeper Pete Jameson into a save.
Minutes later, Ali Alshabeeb spotted space from distance but saw his effort sail wide of the post.
Darlington’s substitute Matty Cornish came close to breaking the deadlock after meeting a corner kick on the edge of the box, but his shot went wide.
Darlington gradually grew into the game, creating two notable chances around the 69th minute. Cameron Salked first attempted to find the far corner with a curling shot that narrowly missed the target. Shortly after, his deflected effort was saved by Grant, who kept Buxton in the contest.
However, Darlington found their breakthrough in added time. Will Hatfield made a driving run from midfield, threading a precise pass to Main, who showcased his composure by dribbling into the box and slotting the ball past Grant to secure the win for the visitors.
The narrow defeat sees Buxton eliminated from the FA Trophy, as they now turn their focus back to league action, hosting Oxford City at The Tarmac Silverlands Stadium next week.
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