Belper hit Chesterfield for six

Goals from Grant Ryan, Rob Stevenson, Connor Johnson, Lee Cooksey and two from Jonathan Williams completed the rout for the Nailers against a Chesterfield XI made up of Under 21 & 18’s players.

Belper never got out of second gear and were not tested by the young Spireites side, despite a premature comeback half-way through the second half.

It took the Nailers thirty minutes to break the deadlock after a fairly even first half-an-hour, Ryan opened the scoring tapping in from close range after Chesterfield’s ‘keeper spilled a Stevenson shot.

A goal either side of half-time for Jonathan Williams made it 3-0 to Belper, slamming home his first after Johnson knocked down a Scott Matthews corner and calmly slotting home his second from Ryan’s pull back.

Johnson then got himself on the score sheet finishing inside the box following some generous Chesterfield defending, three minutes and four substitutions later it was 5-0 to Belper, this time Stevenson taking advantage of the charitable Spireite’s defence.

Chesterfield made several substitutions in the second half and managed to spark a comeback, making it 5-1 in the 66th minute, Belper also gave valuable game time to several of his own under 21’s players, whom all are looking to push themselves into the first-team picture.

Although it was one of the men on trial who completed the scoring in the 78th minute, Lee Cooksey is believed to have got the final touch following a goal mouth scramble.

Despite it not being the biggest test for The Nailers, it is another one ticked off the pre-season schedule and ninety more valuable minutes for manager Jim Albans and Wayne Hallcro to assess their squad before the start of the season on the 15th August.

Attendance: 179

Match officials:

Referee; Nigel Smith

Assistants; Jamie O’Connor & Kevin Wilson

Belper Town starting XI; Haystead (80’); Bradley (52’), Purcicoe, Watt (52’), Matthews; Johnson (70’), Wilson (75’) ©, Williams (52’); Ryan (70’), Garnett (50’), Stevenson (63’).

Subs; Marshall (52’), Cooksey (52’), Lister (52’), Moran (70’), Kabanje (70’), Mitchell (75’), Taylor (63’), Bubacarr Sanyang (50’), James, Rathbone (80’) (GK)

Chesterfield starting XI Parkin, Holmes, Taylor, Ovenden, Marshall; Jarrald, Lynam, Rowley, Morrison; Milner, Daley.

Subs; Wright, Brownhill, Smith, Thistlewaite, Hudson.