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Cammell
Laird showed quality when it was needed most as they punished Belper Town
for taking the lead early in the second half.
The
Nailers faced Cammell Laird at a wet and misty Christchurch Meadow, and
second in the table Lairds promised to be the Nailers’ stiffest test for
some time.
Krystof
Kotylo was absent through injury and was replaced by Pete Smith while Joe
Appleyard’s performances of late had been good enough to keep veteran
defender Gary Middleton on the bench.
Anthony
Wilson was still unavailable because of suspension while and there was no
place in today’s squad for Mark Smith.
An
injury to Adam Ogden in the warm up meant there was a late change of
goalkeeper for the Nailers and Andy Carney had to deputise.
Belper
nearly caught Cammell Laird out in the first minute when Danny Hudson
found Andy Rushbury in space on the left with a long cross but Leon
Bimpson spread himself well to block the resulting volley.
Andy
Carney came out to punch the ball away on 7 minutes and Greg Stones
should have done better with a shot from 22 yards when the it fell kindly
at his feet.
The
Nailers missed a good opportunity on 9 minutes when Richard Tracey
crossed into the box from the left and Ross Hannah failed to make contact
from the edge of the six-yard area.
Lairds
won a free kick in a dangerous position two minutes later and the Nailers
were relieved to see Tommy Rooney’s free kick take a deflection just wide
of the upright.
Richard
Tracey forced Bimpson into conceding a corner kick in the 24th
minute when he got to a Rushbury cross at the far post, then James
Colliver sent Hannah away with a perfectly flighted pass over the top but
the Belper striker couldn’t get his shot away.
Chris
Adamson fired high over the cross bar in the 30th minute after
Alex Hay’s good work on the left provided the opportunity, then as the
play switched to the other end Hannah tried to make the best of a high
bouncing ball but his attempted lob just cleared the angle.
John
Collins got up well to head Tony Lynch’s 41st minute free kick
over the cross bar as Lairds enjoyed a good spell of possession in the
latter stages of the half, and it was the Nailers who were the happier of
the two teams to hear the half time whistle.
Lee
Stevenson’s bullet free kick from 20 yards struck a Lairds defender as
Belper came out for the second period in a positive mood and the Nailers
took the lead in the 51st minute when Danny Hudson’s long pass
dropped for Ross Hannah, and he fired the ball past the oncoming Leon
Bimpson.
However
Belper’s lead lasted barely a minute as Lairds’ Alex Hay lashed the ball
in from the edge of the area to bring the scores level.
Then
the Nailers soon found themselves behind when Tommy Rooney latched onto a
ball into the penalty area and hit it under the advancing Andy Carney for
the third goal of the game inside 4 minutes.
Belper
went further behind in the 64th minute when Lairds cut a
swathe through the Nailers’ defence and Tommy Rooney was on hand to
finish clinically under Carney from close range.
Jon
Hobson almost pulled one back for Belper when he glanced Lee Stevenson’s
72nd minute free kick towards the far post and Bimpson was at
full stretch to push it around the upright.
Andy
Carney prevented Lairds getting a fourth with a brilliant reaction save
to stop Chris Adamson’s close range effort going in from six yards out,
then Bimpson made a superb stop from Scott Lowe’s 85th minute
free kick as the Nailers threw men forward in an attempt to reduce the
arrears.
But
in the end the visitors were worthy of the three points and the Nailers
still have some way to go if this is the benchmark for promotion.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
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