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Belper Town were comfortable winners at
Christchurch Meadow and they now look to climb the league table after
their second UniBond League win of the season.
The Nailers
returned to league action after two weeks in cup competitions and faced
Kidsgrove Athletic in a rearranged fixture.
The Nailers
line up had a familiar look to it but Krystof Kotylo was a notable
absentee as he was unavailable due to suspension and Pete Smith came in
as his replacement.
Danny
Toronczak was named as a substitute alongside Joe Appleyard and Sean
Gummer.
Adam Ogden
safely collected Anthony Kielty’s 4th minute free kick as the
game got off to a slow start, but Wayne Brotherton almost got through for
Kidsgrove on 5 minutes although Ogden was there just ahead of him.
An injury to
Kidsgrove skipper Pope meant that the trainer had been called on to the
field for the third time in 7 minutes, and this time the injured player
failed to return and was substituted by Richard Eyres.
The Nailers
took the lead in the 8th minute following an error from
‘keeper Heeps after he sliced Hudson’s long pass into the path of Anthony
Wilson and all he had to do was steer the ball into the net from 12
yards.
Beeston
almost got to the ball ahead of Hobson two minutes later but the it went
for a goal kick as the visitors tried to get back into the game.
A great run
from Mark Smith took him 50 yards but his cross was cut out at the near
post, and then Hannah was released on 16 minutes and with Wilson in space
to take his pass he over hit the ball and the chance was lost.
Mark Smith
eluded the off side trap moments later and he pulled the ball back to
Hudson but at full stretch, he put it over the cross bar.
Kidsgrove
almost hit back on 19 minutes but Beeston put his unchallenged header
well wide and
Wilson tried
to find the target from 22 yards in the 21st minute but again
the ball missed went wide.
Hannah’s
quick thinking almost caught Brotherton out when he flicked the ball into
the six yard area but the Kidsgrove defender got there just before the
incoming Wilson.
But Belper
extended their lead in the 30th minute following a corner kick
and it was Ross Hannah who nodded the ball in after Pete Smith headed
Mark Smith’s kick back from the far post.
Hudson did
really well to get the ball over from the by-line on 36 minutes and
Hannah made a valiant attempt to head the ball in at the far post but
couldn’t make proper contact.
Stevenson fired
in a well-struck left foot volley in the 43rd minute but Heeps
safely collected the awkwardly bouncing ball, and Hudson was a whisker
away from getting a third when he shot inches wide on the stroke of half
time.
The Nailers
suffered an early scare in the second half when Gary Middleton totally
mis-kicked a routine ball down the middle leaving Michael Lennon to bear
down on Ogden’s goal.
But he left
it late to shoot and Adam Ogden got to his poor shot.
It was
Belper’s turn to go close on 51 minutes when Hudson hit a flashing volley
just over the cross bar.
Lennon forced
his way into the penalty area on 54 minutes as Kidsgrove stepped up the
pace and Hobson had to clear his shot after it had beaten Ogden on the
angle.
Wilson had
the ball in the net on 64 minutes but his effort was disallowed for a
marginal offside decision, but Hannah started one of Belper’s best moves
of the game when he released Mark Smith but Heeps got down well to deny
Wilson from the cross.
Heeps denied
Wilson again with a brave stop in the 70th minute after a neat
square ball from Hannah, then moments later Hannah was involved again
when he set up Mark Smith but the Belper striker put the ball beyond the
far post when it looked easier to score.
Hudson
floated in a 76th minute free kick but Stevenson found the angle too
acute and put the ball the wrong side of the post.
The Nailers
capped a good all round performance with a third goal on 86 minutes when
Hannah scored a delightful goal from the corner of the penalty area with
a slide rule shot that dipped over Heeps and into the far corner of the
net.
The Nailers
would be relieved to get their second league win of the season and the
manner of it will be particularly pleasing for the Belper joint managers
Andy Carney and Danny Hudson who will now be hoping that their side can
replicate this display for the remainder of the season.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
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