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Buffs FC started the second leg of the Champions League knockout round at home with the shadow of recent poor results hanging over them. Things did not start well with the visitors pummeling the Buffs end with chance after chance from their amazing 30% possession. In that first 15 mins McNeill made 3 dast ditch tackles, McGrain cleared the lines twice and even Dalglish was back providing a clearing header from a corner. The stats might tell a different story but it had been one way traffic. Things settled down a bit for the Buffs and the focus shifted up the other end but a goal eluded the Buffs. Double corners, free kicks and crosses peppered the visitors goal and Baxter blasted over from short range, but no goal came.
As the half drew to a close the visitors broke upfield and only the fast reactions of 'The Goalie' denied the visitors. As the seconds ticked down a long clearance by McGrain found Dalglish, who held it up and spun his marker. But a last ditch tackle drove the ball out for a corner. Just time enough for McNeill to swing over the ball onto the head of Dalglish who buried it. The cheers had hardly even started when the half-time whistle blew.
Two chances in quick succession for the visitors were blocked as the Buffs defence stood firm. The game then got bogged down in the middle with through balls from both sides cleared by either defence. Something special was needed - someone called Baxter. Retreating deep, Baxter picked up a loose ball and ran with it. He ran and ran for what seemed like an eternity and, as the defence tried to marshal him outside, he cut in and unleashed a shot that struck the defender. But.......it popped up, he pulled it down and unleashed a pile-driver that almost burst the top corner of the net. Buffs had a cushion! Alas! there was no time to think ahead. At the restart Buffs seemed to go to sleep - perhaps thinking 2-0 was enough. A shot from range spun off Gemmel for a corner. As the cross came in the attacker stooped and delivered a glancing header to the back post and it trickled in off. 2-1. Then piledriver from the visitors sent shivers around the ground. Not again! But the shot clipped the bar.
Buffs picked up the pace again and a threaded cross field pass from Gemmel was driven by Baxter but it whistled past the post. Johnstone curled from range but the defence only half cleared it. The miscued attempt spun off a defender and dropped to Baxter - he skipped past one, beat another and as the keeper rushed out he slipped it neatly towards Dalglish and the least defender. But the onrushing McNeill got there first just as he looked to shoot the defender slid in. But McNeil chipped it over and Dalglish lept and volleyed it home.
3-1 and 5 mins left on the clock. We've seen Buffs contrive to throw away a few leads lately but surely they would see this out. And they did, a drive from Johnstone was tipped over, a header from Souness slipped wide and a volley from Bremner whistled over. But at least the ball remained down the right end. At last the whistle came.
Buffs FC march on. "Steady the Buffs!"
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