Late goal salvages point for BTFC Ladies

The Nailers came in to this Raygar Stadium encounter fresh from a fantastic victory over league leaders Draycott Victoria but Amber Valley themselves sit 4th in the table and made life difficult for the hosts.

They created the first clear chance on 14 minutes when a Belper clearance was charged down by Rhiannon Selby but her shot was just over the bar.

A minute later at the other end a great corner by India Amans went through a crowded six-yard box and bounced off the post and despite the best efforts of Sarah Roberts to bundle the ball home, Kyrie Straw grabbed the ball on the goal line.

In the 23rd minute Sammy Bennett found Macie White but under pressure from the defender her shot was saved by Straw.

Bennett was involved again three minutes later when she played a one-two with Alice Faulding before shooting narrowly wide with her left foot.

Faulding tried to turn provider on 36 minutes when she fed in White but Eve Miles came across to clear for the visitors.

Three minutes before half-time, a great Jess Needham pass found Faulding who cut inside but again Straw came to Amber Valley's rescue.

The final action of the half, two minutes in to injury time saw a long range shot from Bennett go wide.

In the 56th minute Belper won a free kick on the right hand side which Mia Carnelley delivered in to the box but Miles snuffed out the threat.

Amber Valley started to apply pressure after this and Selby fired a warning to the Nailers with a shot just over the bar on 64 minutes.

A couple of minutes later Hollie Thompson found Faulding who unselfishly rolled the ball back for Bennett, her shot crashed off the crossbar as Belper started to get back in to things.

Only another two minutes had passed before Faulding created another opportunity, this time for Roberts but her shot from range was watched wide by Straw.

Amber Valley took the lead in the 72nd minute with a great individual goal by Selby. She ran down the right before cutting in and beating two Belper defenders and slotting the ball in to the corner.

Belper responded well and within five minutes Anna Macluskey found Faulding but her shot from 20 yards was saved.

In the 90th minute Carnelley came up with another dangerous free kick, it eventually fell to captain Emma Pickard who shot just wide.

The Nailers continued to apply pressure, in the first minute of injury time a long ball found Faulding who just missed the target and three minutes later a Carnelley corner fell to Hannah Layton whose shot was just over the bar.

The decisive moment came six minutes in to injury time when Amber Valley couldn't clear and the ball fell to Amans who showed great composure to prod the ball home past the onrushing Straw.

There was still another 90 seconds for Belper to push forward but a draw was as good as it would get for Dom Anderson's side.

He had this to say after the match: "I'm a little bit disappointed, I don't think our opponents were as good as the opponents we had last week. We didn't play at our tempo until we had to in the last 20 minutes but we showed a bit of fight. It's a point and we'll take a point but you've got to think it would have been nice to take a win today".

Striker Alice Faulding added: "India did really well, a great finish. It was just one of those games where the ball wouldn't go in the back of the net, we hit the crossbar, had two penalty shouts. The 1-1 still feels good but unfortunate not to get the win".

The result moves the Nailers up to 5th, and while the title is almost certainly out of reach this season there are many positive signs for the Ladies team on and off the pitch.

They return to the Raygar Stadium next Sunday (4th of February) at 1:30pm to face Pride Park Ladies in a rematch from the crazy 16 goal thriller at Moorways a couple of weeks ago.

Belper Town: Varnam, Powles, Roberts, Pickard (C), Frostick, Dutton, Needham, S. Bennett, Amans, White, Faulding.
Subs: S. Jackson, Layton, Macluskey, Thompson, Carnelley.

Amber Valley (squad): Baikie, A. Bennett, Bosworth, Chapman, Earnshaw, Haywood, A. Jackson, James, Judge, Litchfield-Shaw, Long, Longdon, Lowe, Miles, Selby, Straw, Uppal, Vicars, Williams.

Referee: Chris Garner