Belper floored by late goal

The Nailers introduced two more new faces for this return fixture against Goole with former Vikings’ skipper Nicky Darker (pictured) having signed for the Nailers last week, and Darryl Thomas who joined the club from Hucknall Town after making his name as a goal scorer for Carlton Athletic and latterly Retford Town.

Former Belper players Lee Stratford and Chris Davies lined up for visitors but Gavin Allott, another former Nailers player was serving a suspension following his sending off against Belper two weeks ago.

Darryl Thomas had an early chance to impress straight from the kick off but got the ball tangled under his feet and a defender blocked his shot.

From the corner kick, Jon Froggatt hit a crisp volley on the turn and the ball flew into the arms of Craig Parry, then at the other end Simon Spencer’s shot took a slight deflection and struck the outside of the post on its way out of play.

The game went quiet after this eventful opening five minutes, then Scott Ellis struck a swerving volley from just outside the penalty in the 12th minute and Barcherini was relieved to see the ball go wide.

Moments later Darryl Thomas saw an opening and struck a venomous effort just over the bar as play switched quickly to the Goole end of the pitch, but the flow of the game was very ‘stop start’ with some niggling fouls not helping matters.

In the 23rd minute Jon Froggatt couldn’t quite reach a cross from Lee Thompson and the combination nearly worked again in the 26th minute when Froggatt’s glancing header off Thompson’s free kick flew just wide.

Thompson provided the assist moments later with a good ball into the penalty area and Nicky Darker put his shot wide of the target, then Darryl Thomas was set up perfectly with a great chance to score on the half hour after Froggatt nudged the ball on, but he blasted wide with just the goal keeper to beat.

Thomas met a 38th minute corner with a first time volley but the ball flew over the cross bar, and the Nailers had let a number of promising opportunities slip by unrewarded.

Belper finished the half in the ascendancy but significantly as it turned out, couldn’t score the goal that their endeavours had warranted.

Jon Froggatt found the angle too tight after running clear in the 48th minute and his shot went into the side netting, and at the start of the second period the Nailers were finding hard to regain the rhythm they’d had in the first.

The Nailers suffered an anxious moment in the 61st minute after Richard Adams had conceded a free kick on the corner of the penalty area, but Luke Jeffs’ shot flew into the side netting.

In the 65th minute it was Goole’s turn to be relieved when Darryl Thomas’ glancing header off a Mark Barnard cross bounced just wide of the far post.

Liam Davies had time to size up his shot in the 73rd minute but his left foot drive sped just past the far post and the game was still awaiting its first goal.

Ollie Warren got behind the Goole defence in the 84th minute and put a cross over to the far post just too high for Froggatt, and in these last stages of the game the Nailers had looked the more likely to break the deadlock.

Jon Froggatt had one of Belper’s few direct efforts in the 89th minute forcing Parry into a save at full length, but just as a scoreless draw looked a certainty the Vikings hit the winner deep into added on time when Scott Ellis swept the ball in off the post from 12 yards after the Nailers had failed to clear.

It was tough on Belper who had played well throughout, but in some ways the game mirrored the fixture at Goole two weeks earlier when the Nailers had also stolen victory by a single goal.

Belper Town: Barcherini, Pride, Barnard, Darker, Adams, Plant, Wiggins-Thomas, Thompson, Froggatt, Thomas (Warren 76), Fedorenko (Peel 88). Subs. not used: Jenkins, Wood, Carney.

Goole AFC: Parry, Jeffs, Stratford, Barwick, Lindley, Dudgeon (Ludlam 79), Davies C (Hinsley 68), Davies L, Powell, Spencer (Taylor 84), Ellis. Subs. not used: Redhead, Ward.

Referee: Nigel Murphy (Mansfield)

Attendance: 180

Match Sponsor: Lubrizol Ltd

Man of the Match: Matt Plant