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Belper Town came up against old
adversaries Stocksbridge Park Steels and their winning streak came to an
end with a 2-0 defeat at Christchurch Meadow.
The Nailers made one enforced change to
the starting line up because Anthony Wilson was unavailable as he served
a one game suspension, and it was a straight swap with Richard Tracey
coming in alongside Ross Hannah in attack.
There were no less than 13 players and
management involved in today’s game who had at some stage been connected
with both clubs, most notably, for the visitors, Steve Kennedy, Ben
Walker and Mark Ward together with manager Gary Marrow.
If statistics meant anything then there
were certain to be goals as Belper and Stocksbridge were one of only
three teams in the division that had scored in every game this season.
The Nailers had to defend a 2nd
minute free kick from Alvyn Riley as the visitors started strongly then
the same player delivered another dead ball kick moments later that Brett
Lovell nodded on, but Adam Ogden got down well to save.
Richard Tracey had a bold attempt from
25 yards and wasn’t too far away with a rising shot that went just over
the cross bar, and a good chance went begging in the 12th
minute when Tracey opted to try and control a deep cross from Ross Hannah
instead of heading the ball first time, and the opportunity was lost when
he couldn’t get his shot in.
Seconds later Steels could have gone
ahead when Jon Hobson’s clearance came back off a Stocksbridge player
leaving Jamie Vardy on side, and although Adam Ogden saved the first
attempt Ben Walker put the rebound wide.
Tracey turned his man easily on 18
minutes and then chose to shoot straight away when he might have taken
the ball nearer to the goal before pulling the trigger.
Steels caught Belper on the break in the
21st minute when Adam Brown was released on the right and he
picked out Ben Walker at the far post and his header bounced
agonizingly beyond Ogden’s reach into the far corner.
The Nailers were caught out again in the
32nd minute when Walker ran through unseen to head Ryan
Ludlam’s deep cross powerfully past Ogden to send Steels two goals in
front.
Ross Hannah tried to squeeze a 20 yard
shot in at the near post but Andy Jefferey claimed the ball at the second
attempt, and the Nailers nearly carved out an opportunity in the 43rd
minute when Danny Hudson found Tracey with a ball into the box, and the
Belper striker just missed out on finding Lee Stevenson running in the
far post.
Belper had it all to do in the second
period and they thought they had pulled one back in the 50th
minute when Tracey’s low drive went through the ‘keeper’s legs, but
Jefferey recovered well to grab the ball on the goal line.
Brett Lovell jumped higher than anyone
to head Riley’s 55th minute corner kick wide of the far post
and Steels were not making it easy for Belper to get back into the game.
Andy Rushbury’s jinking run in the 66th
minute nearly created a goal for Belper but when the ball reached Tracey
he was unfortunate to see his flick over the ‘keeper land on top of the
netting.
Tracey went for goal again two minutes
later with a shot from 25 yards that swerved away from the target, and
moments later Ross Hannah put a great ball into the six yard area but
Tracey got tangled up with Lovell and the ball went safe – claims
for a penalty fell on deaf ears.
Stocksbridge pushed forward in the 75th
minute and Jamie Vardy forced a corner with a strong run and shot, but
Belper spurned another chance in the 79th minute when Mark
Smith latched on to an under hit back pass but he scooped his shot wide
of the unguarded net.
Rushbury did well to reach a cross in
the 84th minute but his header went wide of the upright, but
in the 86th minute Belper allowed Ryan Ludlam to run through
and fire a well struck drive that Ogden did well to save.
Stevenson picked out Rushbury with a
fine ball through the middle but the Belper striker’s shot was blocked,
and Belper’s afternoon was summed up perfectly when Stevenson let fly
from 22 yards and when Jefferey fumbled his save, Rushbury put the
rebound wide.
Belper were undone by two goals scored
on the break in the first half but did more than enough in after the
break to have earned a point but as so often in games with Stocksbridge,
fortune tends desert the Nailers and they usually finish up being second
best.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
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