Five in a row Tigers are visitors from hell

Their last five away games have resulted in five wins, and this 3-0 victory at Buxton is perhaps more important than any of the others, because it signals some momentum.

Tigers made it two wins on the bounce, one at home, one away, and crucially 180 minutes without conceding a goal.

And boss Simon Clark, who just seven weeks ago was under real pressure, is delighted his men have turned their season around.

Speaking after victory at the Silverlands, which moved Worksop up to seventh in the table, he told the Guardian: “I’m delighted for the lads.”

“I thought as a back five we were tight. We talked about fluidity and passing on this big pitch but we didn’t do it well enough first half.”

“But we got a goal, and then did okay first 15 minutes of the second half and grew into it.”

“Craig King had good movement, he was good in the tight and he has added assists in buckets for us recently.”

The result gives Worksop added confidence going to Halesowen Town in the FA Trophy on Saturday.

Clark added: “We’ve won five out of five away from home, and if we go there and pass it then we’ll be fine against them.”

On Wednesday, along with a former manager in Martin McIntosh, Tigers came up against ex-players Lee Morris and Sam Duncum, and one of the Tigers Under 19s, Ash Jackson was on the Bucks’ bench.

There was little to write home about in the early stages, Buxton’s Kevin Sandwith curling a dangerous cross past the far post and Tigers’ Matt Young scooping over the bar from distance.

A dangerous run by Duncum saw him get the better of Stuart Ludlam, but Kern Miller denied the winger entry to the six-yard box.

After a tame first 20 minutes, a bobble in the middle bamboozled Sandwich and King ran free, drawing a save from Ian Deakin when he perhaps should have done better.

The yellow card was out after a disagreement between Young and Morris, both players cautioned by the referee Simon Mather.

The aerial prowess of Denton was causing problems for the home back four, and his knock down gave Owain Warlow the ball on the penalty spot, but his shot was blocked.

A nice knock forward from Miller was chested down by Leon Mettam and Denton controlled before dragging a shot wide.

Although Tigers had probably got the better of the first half, it looked sure to be goalless at the break, until King drove forward and shot from a long way out, Deakin saving but unable to hold and Steve Towers knocked in the rebound.

Coming in the 45th minute it was the last word before the interval, and Tigers had something to defend in the second half.

Buxton came out after the break all guns blazing, Michael Towey drifting a header just wide and Scott Maxfield curling a shot marginally off target.

Tigers broke out from a spell of Bucks pressure and although they weren’t as slick on the counter as in previous outings Young still got a shot away, albeit high and wide.

An alarming number of free headers were gifted to Buxton in the Worksop box, the sloppy defending almost costing dearly as Mark Reed stole in ahead of Adie Hawes and nodded just wide.

As was the case so many times in his stint with Worksop, Duncum limped off just after the hour mark with a hamstring injury, Anthony Griffith Junior taking his place.

Kallum Keane’s late tackle on Denton gave Worksop a free-kick in a central position that Mettam smacked against the post, but King was there to take the rebound and shoot home from an acute angle, despite the attention of three markers.

Keane made life even harder for his side with a second poorly timed challenge on Denton, this one also worthy of a yellow, and a subsequent red, leaving Buxton with 10 men for 17 minutes.

Denton very nearly made it 3-0 when King’s touch dropped to him six yards out, but his goalbound shot was deflected over.

Griffith Junior had Buxton’s first shot on target, stinging the hands of Paul Bastock who parried and the defence rallied before the hosts were caught offside.

But Worksop sealed with points on 81 minutes, Mettam thrown to the ground in the box to earn a penalty that - after an argument with Denton - Beeson took and drilled into the net.

Having put in a Man of the Match performance King departed in the final minutes, Burbeary making his entrance.

It should have been 4-0 when Denton swung in a cross for a completely unmarked Beeson, but the winger sliced his shot badly.

He then drove at Buxton and brought a save from Deakin, before Denton was replaced by L’Heureux Menga.

The big forward made Deakin save again, after a smart turn, and Young had a shot stopped by the custodian, who gave the scoreline some respectability as Worksop ran riot late on.

Buxton: Deakin, Black, Sandwith, Stevens (Lugsden 67), Haggerty, Keane, Maxfield, Towey, Reed, Morris, Duncum (Griffith Jnr 62). Not used: Bradbury, Jackson.

Worksop: Bastock 7, Ludlam 7, Clarke 8, Young 7, Miller 8, Hawes 8, KING 9 (Burbeary 86), Towers 7, Denton 7 (Menga 89), Mettam 7, Warlow 7 (Beeson 69). Not used: Wood, Telling.

Referee: Simon Mather. Assistants: John Walton, Peter Darby.

Goalscorers: Towers 45, King 66, Beeson 81.

Yellows: Morris 22, Keane 64, 73; Young 22.

Reds: Keane 73.

Attendance: 249.