Belper fail to make the most of superiority

The Nailers travelled to the northwest without key midfield player Matt Telling who was unavailable and Simon Mirfin came into the side for a rare start.

Belper could have taken the lead inside the first minute when Ollie Ryan ran through the Lairds’ defence but ‘keeper Phil Palethorpe made the first of a number of important stops to deny the Belper striker.

A promising start to the game quickly degenerated into a scrappy affair with both sides unable to get the ball down and play to feet.

Cammell Laird stretched the Belper defence during this period but the best they could offer was a Stuart Jones header from a 20th minute free kick.

Thankfully things started to liven up after this and in the 25th minute the Nailers took the lead after Ollie Ryan burst through only to find Palethorpe in his way, but Jordan Hall (pictured) managed to scramble the ball into the net as he slid in to capitalise on the rebound.

Belper were finding their men much better now and the goal had clearly knocked the Lairds’ confidence.

Mickey Harcourt put over a good cross in the 32nd minute but Lee Stevenson couldn’t add to his 26 goal tally as he volleyed the opportunity wide of the far post.

Palethorpe denied the Nailers again in the 40th minute when Jordan Hall cut inside and released the ball to Jon Froggatt, but the Lairds’ ‘keeper came out very quickly to snuff out the opportunity.

But Froggatt wasn’t to be denied although he was greatly indebted to Ollie Ryan for his goal in the 44th minute after Ryan took the ball to the bye line before finding his co-striker on the edge of the six yard area, from where he made no mistake.

The second half proved to be one of domination for Belper and Ryan should have wrapped the game up for the Nailers in the 49th minute when he slipped through the Lairds’ defence only chip the ball wide of the target.

However the third goal arrived barely a minute later after Ryan spotted Jordan Hall in acres of space on the right and Hall ran on to score off both posts to put the Nailers in charge.

Ryan was unlucky in the 59th minute after executing an excellent turn on the edge of the penalty but again Palethorpe was well placed to save his well struck ground shot.

Lairds’ defender Stuart Jones appeared to lose all self control in the 61st minute when he chopped Ollie Ryan down virtually at the hips and the referee had no choice but to send the player off.

The Lairds’ ‘keeper saved his side again in the 68th minute when Ryan slipped through the defence to find himself on a ‘one on one’, and when the ball came out to Lee Stevenson, Tony Rendell managed to head his pile driver over the cross bar to prevent a certain goal.

Both Ryan and Froggatt had chances to put the ball in the net during a goal mouth scramble in the 70th minute, and then Harcourt found Jon Froggatt with a tantalising cross in the 76th , but the Nailers were unfortunate once again when Froggatt’s header hit the foot of the upright, this time with Palethorpe well beaten.

But with the game totally in Belper’s control they let in Aaron Bowen to score a well taken goal to reduce the arrears for Cammell Laird on 77 minutes.

Luke Fedorenko came on shortly afterwards and promptly wasted a good opportunity to lob the ball over Palethorpe, and Lee Stevenson was unlucky with a curling effort from the corner of the penalty area that clipped the cross bar.

Fedorenko was through on goal in the 87th minute but somehow contrived to put the ball over the exposed Palethorpe, and somehow Cammell Laird had escaped a much heavier home defeat.

Cammell Laird: Palethorpe, Rendell, Adams C, Gardener, Jones, Atherton, Andrews, Lipson, Forshaw (Cooke 66), Tuck (Bowen 10), Mackreth. Subs. not used: Irons, Edison, Hay.

Belper Town: Ogden, Colliver, Adams R, Naylor, Harcourt, Haigh, Hall (Fedorenko 80), Stevenson, Froggatt, Ryan, Mirfin. Subs. not used: Wilson, Pride, Hudson, Warren.

Referee: I Bonney (Warrington)

Attendance: 103

Man of the Match: Jon Froggatt

Match Action: http://www.timharrisonphotography.com/NailersAction/CmmllLrdA0910/index.html