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It needed a last gasp
goal from Sean Gummer to ensure the Nailers got something from this
Boxing Day fixture at Sutton Park, but all in all it wasn’t one Belper’s
better displays.
Adam
Ogden’s hand injury that had kept him out of the previous game against
Cammell Laird had proved not to be too serious and he was able to play
with it strapped up.
Otherwise
it was the same starting line-up that had lost against Cammell Laird, and
hopes were high that they could gain some sort of result against a team
they had previously failed to beat.
The
Nailers created quite a few chances in the game but until Sean Gummer
popped up right at the death their finishing had been dismal and
certainly not up to the standard seen recently.
Quorn
looked much sharper early on and Ogden was soon in action when he had to
save Paul White’s effort in the first minute.
However
Belper had three opportunities in a 7-minute spell.
Lee
Stevenson, who had a Jekyll and Hyde game, fired over the bar after
Daniel Haystead had punched the ball out to his feet, and then he bent a
good effort just wide with a shot from 25 yards.
Ross
Hannah was next up when he ran on to a long pass from Danny Hudson and
then shot just wide of the target.
In
between these fleeting moments for the Nailers, Quorn looked consistently
dangerous and just after Gavin O’Toole had shaved the cross bar with a
dipping volley, the opening goal arrived on 16 minutes and was just reward
for their industry.
It
was an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area with Brett Darby
hitting the ball perfectly as it zipped over Ogden and into the roof of
the net.
Belper’s
best chance of the half fell to Ross Hannah in the 22nd minute
after he controlled Andy Rushbury’s cross 10 yards out, he still had time
to pick his spot but volleyed the ball over the bar with only Haystead to
beat.
Richard
Tracey headed a Stevenson corner kick just wide on 36 minutes and the
same players combined to create an even better opportunity moments later
but Tracey shot past the post.
Generally
the standard of passing had been poor from the Nailers in the first half
and didn’t really improve a great deal after the break.
But
despite this the Nailers still created the better opportunities.
Ross
Hannah forced a good save from Haystead inside the first minute following
the restart and then Richard Tracey’s finishing ability continued to
desert him, when he blazed over in the 54th minute with only
the ‘keeper to beat from 15 yards.
By
now even Quorn were misplacing passes to the same degree as Belper and
the comedy of errors was complete when the Nailers tried to take a free
kick quickly from the edge of the area and Stevenson’s shot harmlessly
went straight at Haystead.
O’Toole,
who had led the way when it came to shooting from distance nearly
regained the lead for Quorn in the 64th minute with a superbly
struck free kick, but Ogden got across to it brilliantly to palm the ball
over the cross bar.
Peter
Smith cleverly glanced Danny Hudson’s free kick on 67 minutes goal bound
but Haystead, who had proved himself no slouch between the posts, got
down smartly to save.
The
Quorn ‘keeper somehow denied Tracey in the 84th minute after
the Belper striker found himself in possession and unmarked barely 8
yards out, yet he couldn’t get the ball past Haystead.
Despite
all of the goalmouth incident in the preceding 90 minutes it looked like
the Nailers were facing their second successive defeat and their third at
Sutton Park, but as the game went into added on time a goal came from an
unlikely source.
The
ball had been bouncing around in the six yard area for a second or two
and Ross Hannah attempted an overhead kick from an acute angle and Sean
Gummer was able to head the ball over the line from an unchallenged
position barely a yard away from the goal line.
Players
and supporters received the goal with huge relief and Boxing Day spirits
were lifted considerably.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
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