|
Belper Town were without Anthony Wilson and Jon Hobson for
this third round Derbyshire Senior Cup tie against North West Counties
League Division Two side New Mills because both players were serving
suspensions.
Gary Middleton came into the centre of defence while Michael
Harcourt and Mark Smith were given rare starts.
The Millers arrived at Christchurch Meadow boasting an
unbeaten league record that saw them sitting seven points clear at the
top of the Vodkat North West Counties League Division Two.
In the 7th minute Michael Harcourt jumped above
everyone to head a cross from the left straight at the ‘keeper, but the
opening stages of the game were fragmented and scrappy with neither side
able to gain momentum.
However the Nailers brought the game to life in the 20th
minute when they took the lead courtesy of a brilliant strike from
Michael Harcourt who met Ross Hannah’s cross from the left with a
perfectly stuck volley that gave Stuart Williams no chance.
Adam Mather spurned a half chance soon after the restart
when he sliced a volley well wide from 12 yards out, and New Mills slowly
began to string passes together.
Belper nearly snatched another goal on 33 minutes after
James Colliver hit a long ball over the Millers’ defence and Mark Smith
was in the right place hit it goal bound, but Williams came out well to
block.
The visitors were going forward impressively and it was only
the poor quality of the final pass that prevented them threatening the
Belper goal even more.
Mather flashed an opportunist header just over the bar in
the 41st minute, and they nearly found a way through when Joe
Shaw’s neat through pass found Rhys Nevins, but he put his shot wide.
There was no denying that New Mills deserved their equaliser
when it came in the 44th minute.
The Nailers were pulled apart with a slick move that ended
with Carlos Meakin stroking the ball in from 15 yards to send the teams
in all square at the break.
The Nailers came out positively in the second half and came
close to regaining the lead when Danny Hudson hit a low drive to the near
post, but Williams got down well to claim the ball.
Shaw turned and sent Ogden sprawling to save in the 54th
minute as the game opened out for both teams, and Lee Stevenson went
close with a 56th minute header from Danny Hudson’s cross.
The referee sent Millers’ manager Tony Hancock to the stands
for protesting too much following a free kick decision in the 59th
minute.
Ross Hannah got past Mark Lees in the 79th minute
and curled a great shot just over the cross bar and despite all the
activity of the previous 20 minutes this had been the first attempt on
goal by either side in this period.
Lee Stevenson might have snatched a winner on the stroke of
full time but he couldn’t hit the ball cleanly when set up to shoot 10
yards out.
Extra time had barely got underway when the Nailers went
ahead with a great strike from Richard Tracey who hit a first time shot
into the roof of the net from 15 yards.
This proved to be the defining moment of the tie as the
Millers found the Belper defence resilient to everything they threw at
them.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
|
