Nailers fall to Liam Hearn strike

PHOTO: Belper's Jon Guy challenges for the ball (Pic: Courtesy of ilkeston FC)

Nailers' manager Charlie Palmer had a chance to look at all 22 players who are vying for a place in his starting line-up against Kidsgrove in the season's opener next Saturday.

The Robins kick their season off against newly promoted Stafford Rangers, also next Saturday, and it had to be assumed that the team they put out against the Nailers was close to their first eleven.

It was certainly a good work out for the Nailers who had to quickly get into their stride as Ilkeston pressed straight from the kick off.

The Nailers first attack of note came in the 8th minute when Jordan Ball found Ruben Wiggins-Thomas inside the six yard box but the ball ran through to the Robins' 'keeper.

Soon afterwards a long clearance from Phil Watt made things awkward for Ross Durrant and Alex Steadman's huge leap nearly paid dividends.

Ilkeston's brisk passing led to the only goal of the game in the 13th minute and Liam Hearn wrong footed the Belper defence with a quick shuffle that moved the ball from his right foot to his left, and the space created allowed him to drill the ball home.

The Nailers responded with a Jonathan Williams effort that fizzed just wide, but an uncharacteristic sloppy pass from Phil Watt nearly presented the hosts with a second goal.

Liam Hearn was quick to exploit the gap it created, and it took a great one handed save from Danny Haystead to prevent the ball going in, and then Michael Williams bent his shot from the rebound just wide of the far post.

Ruben Wiggins-Thomas headed just wide on the half hour mark and as the Nailers enjoyed more possession leading up to the break Wiggins-Thomas leaped above the Robins' defenders to head narrowly over the cross bar.

The second period was a tight affair although there were chances for both sides to score.

The best of these fell to Wiggins-Thomas on 54 minutes when hesitancy in the Ilkeston defence left the Belper striker with a relatively easy lob over the 'keeper, but the Belper striker's attempt bounced the wrong side of the post.

Alex Steadman stuck a low shot from the edge of the area that Durrant saved at a stretch, then the hosts thought they'd scored when Rory Coleman’s volley crashed off the underside of the cross bar and bounced perilously close to the goal line.

Jermaine Hollis thought he'd scored an equaliser with a controlled shot on 71 minutes but Matt Baker's outstretched leg just reached the ball as it was flying into the net.

Ilkeston's Anthony Dwyer should have wrapped things up for the hosts in the final minutes but spurned a great change by screwing his shot wide.

A raft of substitutions had taken place for both teams in the second half but the intensity remained the same, and from Belper's point of view it was only a lack of a cutting edge up front that prevented the Nailers coming away with at least a draw.

Ilkeston FC: Durrant, Kenworthy, Coleman, Goddard, Baker, Foster, Rose, Shelton, Williams, Hearn, Bather. Subs: Walters, Brima, Atkinson, Dwyer, Morris, Hannis.

Belper Town: Haystead (Mansfield 85), Bryant (Allen 62), Guy (Keenan 79), Graves (Richards 62), Parker (Hodgett-Young 45), Watt, Ball (Constable 45), Williams (Armstrong 62), Wiggins-Thomas (Palmer 73), Hollis (O'Brien 85), Steadman (Rodney 73).

Referee: James Thornhill

Att: 250