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Belper Town played some of their
best football of the season but still went out of the UniBond League
Challenge Cup at the first attempt.
Mick Clark was making
his final appearance in goal, before Adam Ogden’s return and was hoping
to finish his short stint with a hat trick of clean sheets.
Richie Lopes made his
long awaited first appearance of the season on the right of midfield and
Pete Smith also started in midfield as Danny Hudson named himself among
the substitutes.
Anthony Wilson played
up front in the absence of Danny Toronzcak and in defence Adam Yates was
selected at right back with Joe Appleyard playing in the back two.
Both players got their opportunity due to the absences of Gary Middleton
and Jon Hobson.
So it was a much
changed side that set about trying to gain revenge for last season FA Cup
exit and August Bank Holiday’s 4-1 home defeat.
It was fast and
furious stuff for the majority of the 90 minutes with few clear cut
chances coming the way of either team.
Mark Smith set up a
half chance for Ross Hannah in the second minute but Hannah, who had an
off night in front of goal shot into the side netting.
Quorn’s Nigel Julien
missed a similar opportunity at the other end 5 minutes later and sent
the side netting billowing on the wrong side from his perspective.
Mark Smith showed
good skills in creating a long distance shooting opportunity just after
the half hour mark but ballooned his effort high and wide.
Mick Clark made a
good save to deny Gary Griffiths who had the best chance of the first
half in the 39th minute, and he was alert enough to get to a
rasping Steve Evans shot just afterwards.
Hannah shot weakly at
Daniel Haystead just before the half time whistle after clever play from
Mark Smith opened things up.
The Nailers struck
early in the second period when Pete Smith coolly volleyed Richie Lopes’
48th minute corner kick past Haystead from 10
yards.
Belper enjoyed a
productive spell in which they should really have extended their lead but
the home team made some key substitutions and the game slowly turned
their way.
Clark had made a
great stop from Evans in the 55th minute as Quorn began to
turn the screw and although Hannah hit a good shot straight at the
‘keeper on 62 minutes, the equaliser arrived in the 75th.
Substitute Adam
Layfield hit a screamer of a shot from the edge of the area that flew in
off the underside of the cross bar and to be fair Quorn had deserved to
get level.
However they didn’t
deserve the stroke of luck that led to the eventual winner that came
courtesy of the referee who would have been the only person in the ground
not to have seen Lee Stevenson’s shot hit a defender’s head and loop over
the bar.
While the Nailers
appealed for a corner kick Quorn did the sensible thing and got the ball
quickly into play and Evans did all the work in getting to the by-line
and crossed for Vijinder Sidhu to score in the 81st minute.
It was a very
unsatisfactory way to lose the tie but Messrs Carney and Hudson will at
least get some positives out of the team display.
Nigel Oldrini
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