Belper Town 1 Quorn 5

Daryll Thomas was missing through suspension with Paris Simmons coming in after returning from injury, while Liam Davis took over from Matty Thorpe who settled for a place on the bench.

Reserve team striker, Cameron Martin was given an opportunity to experience life at first team level and he was also named as a substitute, whilst Russ Peel (pictured) was in the Quorn starting line up after switching to the Leicestershire club last month after making around 30 appearances for the Nailers this season.

Belper’s home form was in desperate need of a boost as they hadn’t won a league game at Christchurch Meadow in almost four months.

Paris Simmons skied a cross from Ruben Wiggins-Thomas in the 2nd minute as the Nailers started brightly, but Quorn got into their stride and began to push Belper back into their own half.

Ruben Wiggins-Thomas did well to take the ball off Emidio Chiavetta in the 8th minute but Andy Rushbury couldn’t make the most of the opportunity when the cross came to him, then in the 11th minute Jon Froggatt did really well to control Lee Thompson centre, and his shot on the turn crashed against the underside of the cross bar.

Despite Belper’s dominance it was the visitors who took the lead in the 19th minute when Ashley Robinson struck a venomous shot that zipped past Ali Barcherini, this after Russ Peel’s initial effort had ricocheted off a Belper defender into to Robinson’s path.

It was all too easy for the visitors as they scored their second goal after 31 minutes and this time it was old boy Russ Peel who had the easiest of tasks in side footing the ball home after the Nailers were hopelessly exposed on the break.

Peel nearly piled further embarrassment on Belper two minutes later when he struck a 25 yard free kick against the cross bar, but almost immediately the Nailers had a chance when Jon Froggatt found a gap in the Quorn defence, and although he unselfishly squared the ball, Andy Rushbury couldn’t get his shot away.

Paris Simmons had sight of goal on the stroke of half time but he screwed his shot wide and the Nailers were left to muse on a poor first half performance.

Manager Andy Carney took the unusual step of making two changes at half time and he introduced Cameron Martin in place of Liam Davis and Aaron Pride replaced Kallum Keane. Lee Thompson switched to left back and Richard Adams to central defence.

It was a disjointed start to the second period by the Nailers who couldn’t get the ball down and play, and the first 15 minutes or so were littered with petty fouls.

Belper afternoon worsened when in the 59th minute Quorn appeared to just walk through the Nailers’ defence and Chris Gray had all the time in the world to place his shot past Barcherini at the far post.

Two minutes later and the Nailers were four goals adrift when Richard Adams pushed a Quorn player in the penalty area and Shawn Richards drilled the ball hard and low past Barcherini.

Belper pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute when Quorn were caught out for once on the break, and Jon Froggatt nudged the ball on to Ruben Wiggins-Thomas who slid it under the advancing Matt Nurse.

Jon Froggatt had a chance to reduce the arrears further in the 65th minute but his attempted lob just cleared the cross bar.

However any faint hopes of a Nailers fight back were quashed when Ali Barcherini barged into a Quorn striker and there was no surprise when the referee pointed to the spot and Shawn Richards once again converted the penalty kick.

There was little to suggest that Belper were going to score again let alone get anything from the game and unfortunately this will go down as the Nailers worst home defeat of the season.

Belper Town: Barcherini, Thompson, Adams, Darker, Keane (Pride 45), Plant, Wiggins-Thomas, Davis (Martin 45), Froggatt, Simmons, Rushbury (Thorpe 64). Unused subs: Barnard, Carney.

Quorn: Nurse, Buckingham, Chiavetta, Smedley (White 70), Matthews, Gray, Richards (Thomas 87), Robinson, Almond (Easson 81), Turner, Peel.

Referee: Martin Chester (Lincoln)

Attendance: 128

Match Sponsor: The Grapes Inn (Belper)