26-09-22. Match preview Vs Buxton FC

Preview: Phil Lench

It’s been half a century since the Harriers went to Buxton FC for the one and only time. Back then in 1971 it was for the FA Trophy in only the second year of its incarnation and we came away defeated 1-0. Embarrassingly I was there 😳 and I vaguely remember it being foggy and cold as you would expect in the Peak District in February and also being a bit of a non-event for all those stood there watching.

Now, after all this time, we meet again but this time in the league after Buxton gained promotion as champions in the Northern Premier League last season. They started their first season at this level pretty well reaching a high of seventh by the end of last month but then a home defeat to Blyth Spartans saw the slump begin and they’re now hovering just above the relegation zone in nineteenth place.

In an effort to move back up a bit they bought in two new faces last week with Luke Burke on loan from AFC Fylde while the more well known former FC Halifax Town striker, Scott Boden, has joined on two year deal from York City. Both made their presence known when they scored both goals in Buxtons 2-0 FA Cup win against Alfreton Town the other week. They weren’t so lucky on Saturday as Buxton drew 0-0 at home against Chester FC.

On the same day we were running out 3-0 winners at Kettering Town on a beach of a pitch but tomorrow we have to strut our stuff on an artificial surface. Will that mean that the necessary hoof ball seen on Saturday will get ditched for our pure, passing football?

We have a few still out injured. For some reason Alex Penny has yet to return even though he’s been out there in the pre-match warm-ups for the last three games while Amari Morgan-Smith has suffered yet another injury that looks like forcing him out for a while. New signing Jack Bearne has yet to play following a hip injury so will we be seeing another loan striker coming in before the game as cover for Ethan Freemantle after our bench at the weekend didn’t feature a striker at all.

Nathan Lowe was still out with his unknown injury as is Tom Owen-Evans with an abdominal strain that has required a scan. Lowe, Penny and Bearne might be back tomorrow but AMS and TOE won’t. We also have Joe Foulkes with a missing tooth after he received a facial injury in the last minutes at Kettering but I’m sure he’ll be ok.

So how will we do at altitude in the highest stadium in the country? Well we have the chance of vengeance and vengeance is sweet.

Teams:

Harriers from:

Palmer, Emery, Penny, Richards, Knight-Percival, Foulkes, Pearce, Margetson, Lowe, Bastable, Leak, Lissimore, Byrne, Brown, Owen-Evans, Rogers, Martin, Freemantle, Tolley, Bearne, Hemmings, Morgan-Smith, Ceesay.

Buxton FC from:

Richardson, Hudson, Granite, Newton, Brisley, Poole, Andoh, Burke, Dawson, Meikle, Clarke, Elliott, Moult, Hardy, Kirby, Goodridge, Greaves, Bunn, Sargent, De Girolamo, Tasdemir, Gilchrist, McKay, Dearnley, Boden.

Referee: Mr Richard Aspinall. Blackpool

Talk about the game here

Links to Buxton FC websites here

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