Two goals from Scott Boden ensured that Buxton squeezed into the 1st round proper of the Emirates FA Cup for the second consecutive season.
Although the Bucks didn’t have it all their way as Hyde United controlled the first half. The Manchester based side even went into the break 1-0 up thanks to Jack Redshaw’s goal, and it could have been a bigger lead had it not been for Theo Richardson, the Buxton goalkeeper who was in inspired form to make several fine saves to keep the score at just 1-0.
The tone for the first half was set just forty seconds into the match when Adam Dawson hit a long free kick which evaded everyone and rattled Richardson’s crossbar. Then just two minutes later, Eddie Brown played in Tom Pratt who dragged his shot wide of the goal.
Former Buxton midfielder Brad Roscoe then nearly bit the hand that used to feed him on 12 minutes when the ball broke to him in the area, and he looked set to score but for an instinctive save from Richardson to deny him a goal on his return to Silverlands. Richardson was then to deny Jordan Fagbola with a point blank save not long afterwards as the Tigers turned up the heat on Buxton.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, Buxton’s only real chance of the first half came on 24 minutes when a long ball from Sean Newton found Boden who squared the ball to Connor Kirby, the midfielder who has been in a rich vein of form recently, put his shot wide of the goal from around 30 yards out.
Shortly afterwards Dawson and Roscoe both had chances to break the deadlock for Hyde as we approached the half-time break but neither tested Richardson. However, the former Cleethorpes Town goalkeeper was finally beaten on 37 minutes when a long ball into the area was flicked on by Roscoe, and despite Richardson saving the original effort, Redshaw snuck in past the Buxton defence to prod the Tigers into a well-deserved lead.
At the interval, Buxton manager Jamie Vermiglio made the one change as he brought off Matt Sargent for Harry Bunn and, it was a change that had a quiet effect for the hosts as it gave Hyde something different to consider with the Bucks having an extra man up top.
There is an old cliché in football that a match can be a game of two halves and, that was certainly the case at Silverlands as Buxton turned up the pressure on Hyde as they looked for a way back into the game and more importantly to stay in this season’s FA Cup.
Just two minutes after the restart Boden had a chance to equalise when a cross from Luke Burke fell to the forward who saw his shot palmed away by Dan Atherton for a corner.
After a period of sustained pressure, Buxton were finally level just after the hour mark when a long ball from Richardson evaded every outfielder apart from the mercurial Tommy Elliott who raced in on goal, only to be hauled down by Atherton for a penalty. Boden stepped up and despite Atherton getting a strong hand to it, the ball just about rolled into the back of the net.
From there, Buxton went in search of a winner and they almost took the lead five minutes later when Kirby hit a vicious shot from around 30-yards out which forced Atherton to punch the ball clear, while Elliott then bent a shot just wide of Atherton’s goal.
It was looking more and more certain that we would be heading to Ewen fields for a replay on Tuesday night until Buxton finally took the lead with seven minutes to go, when Elliott was once again the provider as he barged his way past a couple of Hyde defenders before playing the ball to Boden who slid the ball past Atherton.
It was a real zinger of a cup tie that would have left the majority of the 1425 fans satisfied as they exited Silverlands knowing that they had seen an entertaining game. However, the Hyde fans would have no doubt made the journey back to Manchester wondering just how they went out of the FA Cup, especially on the first-half showing.
All Buxton eyes will be glued to the TV screens tomorrow evening as we wait to see whom the Bucks will get in the first round of the competition. Some names they could be pulled out alongside include Port Vale, Derby County, Crewe Alexandra, Portsmouth or even Ipswich Town.
After the game I spoke at length to Buxton manager Jamie Vermiglio about their success.
Buxton: Richardson, Burke, Moult, Brisley, Newton, Meilke, Kirby, Elliott, Osbourne (De Girlamo, 75), Sargent (Bunn, 46) and Boden.
Unused subs: Hudson, Granite, Poole, Gilchrist and Tasdemir.
Hyde United: Atherton, Ditchfield, Neavin, Spooner, Fagbola, Roscoe, Dawson (Mampala, 74), Tongue (Whittingham, 89), Brown (Holmes, 61), Redshaw and Pratt.
Unused subs: Chew, Askew, Fleming and Daly.
