Buxton 2 Darlington 0

Goals: Popoola 22 mins, 1-0, Fitzhugh 37 mins, 2-0

Quakers were beaten by two first half goals at Silverlands, but they could have few complaints about the result.

The home side were quicker and sharper than Quakers in the first half when they took a two goal lead, but the visitors kept battling away and improved in the second half without success.

Here are Steve's thoughts on the game:

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/steve-we-were-beaten-by-a-better-side

Quakers gave a debut to Levi Andoh, signed on loan from York, while they also included striker Oscar Taylor, signed just before the deadline on dual registration with Consett.

Buxton had a couple of early attacks which Quakers dealt with.

Quakers nearly took the lead on 4 minutes. Jack Maskell picked the ball up on the right and crossed to the far post, where the ball went over the keeper and struck the inside of the post before it was cleared by a defender.

Buxton replied with a corner on their left, which was cleared by Will Flint.

The home side had a chance on 11 minutes when Ben Sault brought the ball down and set up Tommy Elliott, but his shot was blocked by Toby Lees.

They had another on 13 minutes when Sault got through, but his effort was well pushed over the bar by Peter Jameson.

From the corner that followed, the ball came into the box for Ethan Mann to volley over.

Buxton won their fifth corner of the game on 22 minutes. The ball was floated over from the right for Josh Popoola to charge in and head home from six yards.

Kallum Griffiths conceded a corner with a slide tackle on 31 minutes, but then needed treatment before he was able to continue.

Quakers created a half chance on 35 minutes. Elliot Forbes found Cameron Salkeld on the right with a great pass, and Maskell was just unable to reach his low cross a few yards out.

But it was 2-0 on 37 minutes. Quakers lost possession inside the Buxton half, Buxton broke quickly, and Elliott set up Ethan Fitzhugh to score with a left foot shot across Jameson into the top left corner of the net.

Half time 2-0

After some early Buxton pressure, Levi Andoh put Maskell through with a good low pass, but Maskell was pulled up for a foul inside the area.

However, Buxton broke away again through Elliott who played the ball on for Sault to fire across the face of goal and wide of the post.

Quakers made a sub on 55 minutes, Matty Cornish coming on for Andoh, so Forbes went back into the middle of defence.

Jameson kept the score at 2-0 with a good save on 61 minutes, spreading himself well to deny Sault.

Another good attack by Buxton saw Griffiths pull off a goal saving tackle on Sault ten yards out.

There was then a delay in play when Nelson and Buxton keeper True Grant collided outside the area with the keeper needing treatment. Nelson went down injured a few minutes later, and was replaced by Oscar Taylor, who was signed just before the deadline this afternoon.

Quakers made two more subs on the 81^st minutes, with Jarrett Rivers and Alex Payne coming on for Will Hatfield and Cameron Salkeld.

They nearly pulled one back on 86 minutes when Griffiths crossed from the right to the far post, where Cornish volleyed straight at the keeper.

Then Griffiths had a shot deflected over from a pass by Alex Payne.

Full time Buxton 2 Darlington 0

Team: Jameson, Griffiths, Lees, Andoh (sub Cornish 55), Barrow, Forbes, Hatfield (sub Payne 81), Flint, Salkeld (sub Rivers 81), Maskell, Nelson (sub Taylor 74)

Subs: Rudd

Booknig: Flint (foul)

Grant, Lusala, Williams, Mann, Kirby, Elliott, Sault, Trueman, Fitzhugh, Popoola, Burton.

Subs: Granite, Stobbs, Pedro, Tomlinson, Ravenhill.