Stourbridge 0 Buxton 3

Three goals before the midway point of the first half consigned the Glassboys to another home defeat against the visitors from Derbyshire.

The Glassboys never recovered from conceding two goals in the first five minutes, and a third before too much longer had elapsed meant that despite having much of the possession and territory, especially in the second period, defeat was never in any doubt.

Gary Hackett made one change from last Saturday's home draw with Marine, Jordan Fitzpatrick replacing Tyrone Williams in central midfield.

But any hopes Glassboys supporters may have had of a win to round off the home campaign were severely dented before many had taken up their positions. A 4th minute Buxton corner caused panic in the home defence as Lewis Solly failed to gather or get in an effective punch. The ball fell to Neil Stevens on the edge of the area and, although his first attempt was charged down, he remained calm to place his second effort wide of Solly into the bottom corner.

And worse was to come with less than a minute more gone, as a right wing cross found its way onto the head of Shaun Tuton, who outjumped Luke Connolly to plant the ball beyond Solly and double his team's lead.

Stourbridge looked shell-shocked, but rallied to force Buxton back and briefly threatened on 14 minutes when Josh Morgan-Parker's through ball allowed Brian Smikle to hook a shot just wide of the post, unaware that the offside flag had already put paid to the move.

But just as it looked that Stourbridge may have been finding a foothold in the game, the visitors extended their lead with 22 minutes played, and effectively wrapped up the points. Tuton turned Leon Broadhurst out on the left flank before cutting inside, and his lay-off gave strike partner Liam Hardy the chance to rifle a shot into the roof of the net from 15 yards.

Thereafter the Glassboys huffed and puffed but were largely kept at arms length by a Buxton defence that at times looked less than watertight. Chances, though, proved scarce and, in truth, visiting keeper Arron Jameson was rarely called into action.

And it was the Bucks who had the best opening shortly before half time as a quick ball out of defence released Tuton, who looked set to pull the trigger before Will Richards got back with a timely block at the expense of a corner.

The second half was spent predominantly in the Buxton half as Stourbridge sought a route back into the game without ever really looking like finding it. Morgan-Parker went on a run across the edge of the penalty area but ended by screwing his shot well wide, and then Kayelden Brown headed wide from Connolly's cross.

Fitzpatrick saw his fierce shot blocked just past the hour mark, with Richards, following up, unable to get his effort on target, whilst a low drive from Connolly with ten minutes to go was only just the wrong side of the post.

Luke Benbow, on as a substitute saw his effort pushed away by Jameson on 82 minutes, with Brown somehow steering the loose ball wide, and then Chris Lait saw his shot parried round the post by Jameson with two minutes remaining.

Buxton offered little as an attacking force, and Solly spent much of the second period as a spectator, but they were always comfortable in holding the Glassboys at bay after their early salvo.

Stourbridge dropped two places as a result of their fourth defeat in five games. However, any faint prospect of relegation was extinguished thanks to Stamford's defeat at FC United of Manchester.

Stourbridge: Solly, Canavan (Benbow 66), Knight (Quaynor 48), Richards, Smikle, Fitzpatrick, Connolly, Broadhurst, Brown, Morgan-Parker (Tye 72), Lait.

Unused substitutes: Williams, Miles.

Attendance: 434.