Buxton 5 Darlington 0

Attendance 783

Goals: Osborne 10 mins, 1-0, 35 mins 2-0, 36 mins, 3-0, McCourt 54 mins, pen 4-0, De Girolamo 90+6 5-0

Quakers couldn’t get to grips with a rampant Buxton as they fell to defeat at Silverlands.

Quakers couldn’t cope with Buxton striker Sam Osborne, who scored a first half hat trick, and they also had defender Jake Lawlor red carded on an afternoon to forget. They did show one or two good flashes in attack, but not enough to trouble the home side.

Manager Alun Armstrong wasn’t at the game for personal reasons, so assistant manager Darren Holloway was in charge.

Buxton caused an early problem with a teasing cross by Sam Osborne from the left, but the ball went past everybody in the middle.

Eion McKeown got down the right and his low cross rebounded off the right hand post, but keeper Tommy Taylor had the ball covered.

Curtis Weston fired over the top after a free kick fell for him outside the area, then Osborne had an effort charged down.

Buxton scored after 10 minutes. Jake Wright made a good 25 yard run and laid the ball off for Osborne, who fired beyond the outstretched right hand of Taylor into the bottom right corner.

Quakers had a chance to level from a corner. Will Hatfield hoisted the ball to the far post, where Toby Lees nodded down for Nelson to hook over the top.

Quakers forced their second corner on 25 minutes, but when the ball came out to Hazel on the edge of the box, his left foot shot was charged down.

They got another on 26 minutes, but this time Buxton keeper Max Dearnley held the ball under pressure.

They gained their fourth on 30 minutes from a run by Hatfield, but Buxton cleared at the near post.

But Buxton went 2-0 up after 35 minutes when Kirby burst into the Darlington area, and in a tangle of legs, the ball ran for Osborne to run into the net for his second.

It was 3-0 a minute later, when Osborne picked up a ball through the middle, beat a defender and then rounded Taylor to tap in his hat trick.

Quakers nearly got one back when Barnes found Nelson on the right, and he drilled the ball into the six yard box where Curry got a touch, and the ball was cleared off the line by a defender.

Half time 3-0

At the start of the second half, they had another chance when Griffiths played the ball down the right perfectly into Nelson’s path, and Nelson half volleyed just wide of the post.

Buxton were awarded a penalty on 51 minutes when McCourt struck the bar, and when the ball came down , Lawlor was penalised for tugging back McKeown and was sent off.  McCourt scored from the spot. However, Quakers protested that there was an offside in the build up to no avail.

Tom Pratt went to centre half.

Quakers had a chance to pull one back when Griffiths crossed from the right for Curry to have an attempt blocked, and the ball came out for sub Adriano Moke to volley wide.

Buxton nearly got a fifth when a free kick came into the box and Jake Hull headed just over.

And then Taylor had to go full stretch to push an effort from De Girolamo over the bar.

Platt made a goal-saving tackle, and Lees headed a dangerous cross away

Curry nearly scored a consolation, but his effort from ten yards was saved at the foot of the left hand post.

And in the last minute of stoppage time, De Girolamo scored at the second attempt

Team: Taylor, Griffiths, Lees, Lawlor, Mustoe, Hatfield (sub Liddle 71), Platt, Barnes (sub Rivers 83), Nelson (sub Moke 57), Hazel, Curry

Subs: Windass, Salkeld

Booking: Hatfield (foul 44) Platt foul 85

Red card: Lawlor 55

Buxton: Dearnley, McCourt (de Girolamo 63), Shiels, Wright, Kirby, Osborne, Minihan, Hull, McKeown, Francis-Angol, Weston (sub Elliott 56)

Subs: Brown, De Girolamo, Elliott, Burrow, Hunt