Ladies Team bounce back to defeat league leaders

The visitors have won four out of the last five DGLL Division One titles and ended the Nailers Challenge Cup hopes earlier in the season, and they started brightly on a blustery afternoon.

Draycott forced a couple of early corners but Hannah Whysall and her defence, including the returning Sarah Roberts dealt with them safely.

Belper's first opening came on eight minutes, when Mia Carnelley's cross from the right found Hollie Thompson whose shot was just wide.

The Nailers took the lead in the 11th minute when Thompson's long throughball found Macie White and she rounded the goalkeeper calmly and slotted home the opener.

A great period of play followed for the hosts, firstly within a minute of the goal when Hannah Dutton and Sammy Bennett combined to set up White who shot narrowly past the post.

On the quarter-hour mark, two out of those three players combined again, this time it was Thompson who provided the second pass for White but the shot was scooped just over the bar.

At this point you wouldn't know who was top of the table and who had suffered a potentially confidence damaging defeat last weekend and Belper continued to push, with a Dutton shot from 20 yards fizzing just wide.

Draycott had a sight of goal in the 17th minute when Rachel Mee found Lucy Ferris but the shot was dragged wide.

Two minutes later the Nailers doubled their lead. Bennett played in White and though her first attempt was blocked, she was straight on to the rebound to secure her brace and provide relative daylight.

In the 24th minute Thompson tried her luck from range, the shot was deflected and well watched and saved by Kimberley Jeffrey.

The last real chance of the first half saw White create space for herself on the right hand side of the penalty area, her shot went across goal and wide of the far post.

In to the second half and on 52 minutes a lovely one-two between India Amans and White nearly left the former with a shooting opportunity but Draycott cleared before she could get one away.

White returned the favour a couple of minutes later, playing in Amans whose shot was just wide.

A nervy last 15 minutes was in store for Belper when Natalie Loughenberry was played in and slotted home past Emma Varnam. The Draycott number 10 had bagged two goals against the Nailers in the Challenge Cup tie and now looked to be back for more.

In the 76th minute Amans fed in Anna Macluskey but Jeffrey was out early to block.

The only bad news of the day came in the 79th minute when midfielder Shannon Worrall, who has been so impressive recently was forced off with a serious looking knee injury. Hopefully the prognosis on this will turn out to be good.

This led to ten minutes of injury time and in the second of them, Dutton found Carnelley and her shot across goal was just wide.

Draycott threw everything at the Belper defence but they stood firm for one of their most impressive results in recent times.

The Ladies Team return to Raygar Stadium action on Sunday, 28th January (1:30pm) when they entertain Amber Valley Ladies.

Belper Town: Whysall, Powles, Roberts, Pickard (C), Frostick, Worrall, Dutton, Bennett, Thompson, White, Carnelley.
Subs: Amans, Buxton, Macluskey, Needham, Varnam.

Draycott Victoria (squad): Loughenberry, Drury, Ennis, Blood, Smith, Keeling, Upton, Mee, Ferris, Jeffrey, Smith, Lambert, Hydes, Campbell.

Referee: Steve Davies