Bishop’s Stortford stop the rot with 3-1 win over Buxton in Vanarama National League North for first victory in nine games.
Bishop’s Stortford picked up a first win in nine matches in all competitions at home to sixth-placed Buxton in the Vanarama National League North on Saturday (November 4).
Tosin Olufemi, Jack Thomas and Zain Walker scored in a 3-1 win over their Derbyshire visitors, who had beaten leaders Tamworth 2-1 at home on Tuesday (October 31). Darren Foxley got two assists on his 150th Blues appearance.
The win – their first since their 1-0 win over Darlington on September 9 – saw Stortford climb one place to 22nd in the table with 13 points from their 16 games, two points ahead of Gloucester City and bottom-of-the-table Darlington, who won 2-1 at Farsley Celtic, who are immediately outside the relegation zone, four points ahead of Blues.
Manager Steve Smith made one change from the side that had been thrashed 6-1 by Scunthorpe United a week earlier, Ryan Charles making his 150th Stortford appearance too in place of Aaron Greene, who dropped to the bench.
It was the visitors who threatened first, as Harry Beadle’s attempted clearance from a lofted pass rebounded off Harrison Sodje on the edge of the box into the path of Sam Osborne, but goalkeeper and Stortford skipper Jack Giddens made the save with his feet.
Then Eoin McKeown ran onto a long ball from a Buxton defender and beat Giddens to the ball, but his chip came off the post.
Blues took the lead after half an hour. After good work down the right from Olufemi, he continued his run into the box and got his head to Gio McGregor’s cross from the right, finding the bottom left corner for his fourth goal of the season. His three previous goals were all from the penalty spot and he is now Blues’ joint top scorer.
Osborne skied a shot high and wide from a low right-wing cross, and Olufemi’s brilliant sliding block denied Zaine Francis-Angol’s cross from the left as Buxton pushed for an equaliser before the break.
Olufemi headed away McKeown’s cross from the right and Sam Minihan picked up the rebound, but he could not get a shot away before Thomas cleared the danger and preserved Stortford’s lead going into the break.
Stortford scored two goals within five minutes of the restart to increase their lead to 3-0.
First, Thomas’ glancing header from Foxley’s free kick found the bottom left corner, then Foxley provided the through ball for Aldershot Town loanee Walker to slot home from the left side of the box.
McGregor, who has been directly involved in five goals in the last six games, saw his shot curl wide from 25 yards, before substitute Greene picked out Foxley at the far post but he miscued wide on the volley.
After 68 minutes, McKeown pulled a goal back for Buxton with a downwards header at the far post from a left-wing cross, but the Blues held on.
After 87 minutes, new signing Joshua Osude – a former Grays Atheltic, Hashtag United and Braintree Town winger who joined from Sittingbourne – was introduced, injecting pace into attack against a tiring Buxton defence as Stortford saw out the win.
Bishop’s Stortford: Giddens (capt), Haines, Sodje (yellow card 65), Thomas (yellow card 45), Beadle, McGregor (Osude 87), Foxley, Olufemi, Charles (Greene 64), Walker (Peters 75), Alexander (yellow card 36). Unused subs: Robbins, Marlow.
Buxton: Dearnley, Kirby, De Girolamo, Osborne (Smart 77), Minihan, Hull (yellow card 10), McBurnie (Burrow 46), McKeown, Francis-Angol, Weston (capt, yellow card 45+3, McCourt 56), Hunt (yellow card 37). Unused subs: Brown, Granite.
Attendance: 462
