Former players turned the screw on Ilkeston Town in their 3-1 defeat at Buxton as disciplinary worries were added to relegation woes after this fierce clash.

Defender Barry Woolley arrived as a 72nd-minute substitute but was soon dismissed for bringing down Nottingham-born Anton Foster, the game's outstanding player.

That added to four Ilkeston bookings as they battled without success to overcome a two-goal deficit in the first 19 minutes. Striker Neil Ross, who left the New Manor Ground in the autumn, was a handful.



But fellow striker Paul Walker opened the scoring, turning the ball home after left-back Scott Maxfield helped on an eighth-minute corner. Ross then scored when undaunted by keeper Phil Senior's success in forcing him wide. He simply turned back from the goal-line, creating a bigger target for his left-foot shot which zipped into the roof of the net.

To their credit, Ilkeston fought back and manager Nigel Jemson felt they had a penalty when defender Gregg Anderson stuck up an arm to Adam Muller's cross.

The referee disagreed, but Jemson got a little comfort from former Forest man Ross Gardner, who has hit fine form in recent weeks. He was the man best able to combat Foster and scored with a 25-yard shot in 35 minutes. Ilkeston continued to have a good spell but could not draw level, although Muller twice came close.

Foster, who spent three years at Ilkeston, drove promotion hopefuls Buxton back into the game. The midfield man was the target of some stern tackles and even ended up exchanging heated views with Jemson during a break in the action.

Ilkeston kept pushing forward but Buxton got the decisive third goal when a long ball was misjudged in the third and final minute of added time. Midfielder Michael Towey ran the ball into the net.

Jemson was too upset to comment after the game, feeling it was harsh to send off Woolley, who will miss two games. He also believed the penalty refusal was crucial.

Assistant manager Martin Carruthers said: "It was a frustrating afternoon but I thought we deserved something out of the game. It was a definite handball by the centre-half, who pushed it away."

He said the players felt Woolley had not denied Foster a goal-scoring opportunity when he fouled him with ten minutes left.

Foster was a happy man as he limped out of the ground with a muscle strain. "We can make the play-offs and get promoted. It was a bit fiery but that was what we needed," he said.

Ilkeston: Senior, Powell, Brewer, Holmes (Baxter 46), Winder (Woolley 72), Timons, Gardner, Walker, Muller, Douglas (Knight 70), Featherstone.

Referee: A Morbin (Rotherham).

Attendance: 465.