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Belper Town visited the Potteries twice in four days
and emerged victorious on both occasions, and by the same score
line.
The Nailers had to make two enforced changes to
the side that won at Kidsgrove in midweek with Joe Appleyard replacing
the injured Gary Middleton and Pete Smith came in for Krystof Kotylo who
was a ‘flu victim.
Richard Tracey dropped to substitute upon the
return of Danny Hudson who had missed out in midweek.
Belper also had a pre-match scare when Adam
Ogden suffered an upset stomach an hour before kick off and joint manager
Andy Carney had to place himself on standby just in case.
Belper began purposefully and in the 4th
minute Andy Rushbury had Matt Conkie at full stretch to send the ball
over the angle, and from the resulting corner kick Ross Hannah turned
sharply inside the six-yard area and saw his effort stopped on the line.
The Nailers struck early in the game after
pressure from the irrepressible Anthony Wilson forced another corner kick
in the 7th minute, and Andy Rushbury’s cross into the
box was headed home by Pete Smith.
Lee Stevenson tried a speculative effort from 35
yards that flew high over the cross bar, and in the 13th
minute the Nailers went close to getting another when Wilson nodded Danny
Hudson’s pin point cross against the upright with Conkie well beaten.
Alsager came into the game when Ashley Miller
sent a good header just wide of the post from a deep Andy Parkinson
cross, and then after a patient build up the Bullets forced Adam Ogden
into his first real save when Mark Sobolojew fired straight at him from
just inside the area.
Stevenson tried another long-range effort in the
29th minute, but the home team were beginning to waken up and
force Belper back.
Karl Espley’s perfectly struck volley was
headed off the line by Rushbury in the 31st minute, but the
Nailers stunned the home support when Wilson was barged over just inside
the penalty area and Ross Hannah put the spot kick away with aplomb.
Alsager did enough in the latter stages of the
half to suggest that this game was far from over and the Nailers would
probably need a third goal to make the game safe.
Andy Rushbury made a great run down the left and
after taking the ball past four or five players before crossing into the
penalty area, then Wilson caught the ‘keeper in possession in the
49 minute but fortunately for the home team, the ball ran to defender
Michael Owen.
Rushbury showed good pace on 52 minute and put a
peach of a ball into the six-yard area and Danny Hudson was a whisker
away from getting a touch.
Alsager were just as close moments later when
Andy Parkinson provided a similar pass that Ashley Miller stretched in
vain to reach.
But Alsager got their reward for a lively start
to the second period when Dougie Pitts rose unchallenged to head a 56th
minute corner firmly past Ogden.
The Bullets tried to up their game even further
and for a few minutes they threatened to get an equaliser, and then when
Anthony Wilson received a second yellow card for ungentlemanly conduct
and subsequently a red in the 71st minute, the home
team’s chances of getting something from the game were greatly
enhanced.
However the Nailers seem to be inspired when the
odds are set against them and Jon Hobson might have sealed the points when
he turned and had the goal facing him, but he could only put his shot
high and wide.
The points were confirmed in the most
spectacular of ways on 87 minutes when Richard Tracey, on as a substitute
exploited a gap in the Alsager defence and latched on to Hudson’s
slide rule pass to hit an unstoppable shot into the far top corner of the
net from 20 yards.
It was truly magnificent goal that would grace
even the highest level of football and left Alsager deflated and dead in
the water, and more importantly gave the Nailers three more points in
their quest for a play off spot come the end of April.
Tim Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
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