Hot-shot scores on fourth debut!

8 Mar 2017 By David Watters

Hot-shot Liam Hardy scored for Buxton on his return to the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League's top flight on Tuesday night.

The 29-year-old striker found the net for the Bucks at Silverlands in their 2-1 set-back against Ashton United in the EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division only a few hours after completing his switch from the National League North club.

Signed by the Quakers in February 2016 to join their title charge, the former Armthorpe and Harrogate forward was making his fourth 'debut' for the Bucks against the Robins after returning for a third spell on loan in January and scoring five times before returning to Blackwell Meadows.

In total, he scored 12 times for last season's EVO-STIK NPL Premier Division champions, with nine of his strikes coming this term. Having not started since October until the weekend when he played from the start of Darlington's 2-2 draw at Worcester City, the prolific forward quit the North East for a return to Derbyshire to spearhead fourth-placed Buxton's promotion bid over the run-in.

With league leaders Blyth Spartans next up at home on Saturday, Bucks boss Martin McIntosh will need more goals from Hardy, pictured collecting an accolade at the 2015 EVO-STIK NPL Players of the Year Awards and scorer of one of the fastest hat-tricks in the club’s history.

Voting by the league's managers and fans is currently underway to honour 40 players at this season's star-studded event near Barnsley on Sunday 9 April when Welsh legend Dean Saunders will be handing out the accolades.

Image courtesy of Twitter/@Buxton_FC

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