Bamber Bridge 2, Buxton 2

Bamber Bridge kept their unbeaten run intact with a 94th minute stoppage time equaliser from club stalwart Chris Marlow.
Chris MarlowChris Marlow
Chris Marlow

The left winger scored the winning goal in the NPL First Division North play-off final for Brig back in May, and came up with the goods in the dying embers again for his team.

It was a tough battle against a solid Buxton side, who were good value for their 2-0 lead until the 82nd minute.

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Brad Roscoe fired the Bucks ahead when he back-heeled the loose ball home, following a goalmouth scramble from Ash Young’s long throw-in.

Kieran Charnock then went close to levelling things, but he saw his low header from the corner cleared off the line.

And five minutes later Buxton doubled their advantage, when Liam Hardy capitalised on a mistake on the half-way line.

He fed the ball through to Callum Chippendale, who rounded Lloyd Rigby and kept his composure to slide the ball into the empty net.

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It was a solid first half from the visitors who limited Brig to precious little, Matt Dudley’s low driven free kick that was tipped behind the last piece of action in the first half.

Whatever Neil Reynolds said at half time worked, Brig came out in the second half and were the ones forcing the issue for the second forty five.

Danny Forbes, just shy of the hour mark, bulldozed his way through the middle and forced a smart save from Theo Roberts.

Brig continued to press and it wasn’t until the 82nd minute that it paid off, when Alistair Waddecar was bundled down inside the box.

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Ryan White stepped up and saw his original effort saved, but the No.11 slammed the ball home on the rebound into the roof of the net.

That goal lifted Brig spirits and they threw the kitchen sink at it in search of an equaliser.

It looked as though that chance had drifted away, until Waddecar was brought down again inside the box with a minute left of stoppage time.

White, stood up to the task from 18-yards again, only to see his penalty saved again by Roberts.

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However when the ball broke out, Marlow was on hand to sweep the ball into the bottom right corner and spark jubilant celebrations to say the least.

Daniel Hitchell blew his whistle immediately from the restart, this one a real snatch and grab from Brig who stay undefeated this season.