|
Belper
Town impressed everyone at Cantilever Park with this victory and the
Nailers are beginning to fulfill the promise that they have been showing
all season.
Belper Town’s only change to the
starting line up was the inclusion of goalkeeper Adam Ogden who was back
between the posts after missing last Saturday’s home victory over Carlton
Town.
New
signing Richard Tracey who joined the Nailers from Frickley Athletic this
week traveled with the team but wasn’t included in the squad for this
game at Warrington Town.
The
Nailers were looking to extend a good sequence of results, which had seen
them win the last three league games.
Ross
Hannah spurned a great chance to put the Nailers ahead in the 2nd
minute when he controlled Danny Hudson’s pass and although he slipped
initially, he had time to get to his feet and shoot wide with just the
‘keeper to beat.
Warrington’s
Graeme Mitchell had cause to curse the bounce of the ball shortly
afterwards when Kevin Hannon tried to find him with a pass through the
middle, but it wouldn’t run for him.
Anthony
Wilson had the ball in the net after Ross Hannah crossed after beating
the offside trap in the 12th minute.
The
referee awarded Belper the goal but retracted his decision after speaking
to his assistant much to Belper’s disgust.
Hannah
timed his run well in the 18th minute but after outpacing the
Warrington defenders he put the ball well wide.
Scott
Lowe’s long throw proved to be a useful weapon and in the 22nd
minute he caused all sorts of problems for John Bagnall in the Warrington
goal and as the ball bounced over him, and he was grateful to see one of
his defenders kick it off the line.
In a
rare moment for Warrington Chris Moores found himself with time and space
to shoot but he sliced his shot well wide on 26 minutes.
Hannah
had the ball in the net on 29 minutes but his joy was short lived as the
referee deemed his effort stemmed from an offside position.
Adam
Ogden made a great block on 37 minutes when Graeme Mitchell met a far
post cross with a perfectly struck volley and the Belper ‘keeper somehow
kept it out.
The
Nailers continued to plug away for the remainder of the first period but
were unable to make the breakthrough their play had deserved.
It
seemed as though the strong breeze that had favoured the Nailers in the
first period had eased slightly and Belper were able to maintain the
impetus they had set before the break.
Warrington
‘keeper John Bagnall was kept busy straight from the kick off and Lee
Stevenson saw his looping effort go over him, but somehow he managed to
palm the ball away.
Stevenson
hit a fierce shot into the near post area in the 50th minute
and the ‘keeper did well to deflect the ball away for a corner kick, then
as Belper stepped up the tempo Krystof Kotylo latched on to the ball 3
minutes later and powered his way into the penalty area, but his shot
went disappointingly wide.
Belper
were troubling the home side with almost every attack and in the 55th
minute Anthony Wilson thought he had scored when he headed the ball over
Bagnall from Andy Rushbury’s cross, but the Warrington ‘keeper managed to
get back and prevent it from going over the line.
Warrington
had a good spell around the hour mark and Phil Mitchell went past two
Belper players before unleashing a hard shot that went just wide.
The
same player sent a 65th minute free kick over the cross bar
from 25 yards and the Nailers were in danger of falling behind in game
they should have been comfortably winning.
But
Belper played themselves back into the game and were rewarded on 75
minutes when more pressure on the Warrington goal yielded a penalty kick.
Jon
Hobson was trying to collect the ball following a cross into the penalty
area when he was unnecessarily chopped down by a Warrington player and
the referee had no hesitation in awarding a spot kick.
The
Nailers hadn’t had a lot of luck in front of goal so they were very
relieved to watch Ross Hannah confidently convert from the penalty spot.
The
Nailers quashed any thoughts of a Warrington comeback when Lee Stevenson
surged into the penalty area in the 78th minute and fired a
low shot wide of Bagnall into the bottom corner of the net.
Hannah
had an opportunity to get his second of the game in the 86th
minute but rather wastefully scooped the ball over from 12 yards, and in
the dieing seconds Rushbury was unlucky with a left foot drive that just
cleared the angle.
It
was another impressive display from the Nailers who had now completed
four league wins on the spin.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
|
