The first half had positives as the Blues more than matched their opponents, but the second 45 saw them capitulate and concede three times within a 15 minute spell.

After exiting the Emirates FA Cup at the weekend against York City, they would have been desperate for a response but this never looked likely in Derbyshire.

There were three changes made from the side that lost out at the LNER Community Stadium as Lewis Ritson, Jake Hackett and Marcus Giles coming in for Jonathan Burn, Liam Cooke and Bradley Fewster.

Buxton came into the game full of confidence having thrashed City of Liverpool 6-1 on Saturday, also in the FA Cup.

It was the home side who opened the scoring when Diego De Girolamo fired home beyond Shane Bland, typically with Lewis Hawkins on the ground injured at the time. He would be replaced by Adam Gell.

Hawkins had gone closest for Whitby prior the home side’s opener when he made Theo Richardson tip his effort around the post.

Whitby would go in search of an equaliser and they got it when a poor clearance form Buxton was more up than out allowing Marcus Giles to bring the ball under control before squaring to Jacob Hazel who couldn’t miss.

Early in the second half, Whitby were dealt a disappointing blow as De Girolamo put Buxton back ahead.

The ball fell to the Buxton forward after a beat dummy on the edge of the box and be fired beyond Bland into the top corner.

De Girolamo got his hat-trick in the 59th minute when he profited from some uncharacteristic sloppy defending from Whitby.

Mis-communication between the defence and Bland saw the ball fall to the Bucks’ danger man and he made it 3-1.

It should have been four when De Girolamo fired over with the goal gaping after Jamie Ward’s initial strike had hit the post.

But there was to be a fourth Buxton goal on 71 minutes when Ward got a goal of his own, firing home at the back post after a left-wing cross.

Bland did well to keep the score down late on, denying both Chris Dawson and Diego De Girolamo.