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Sat 01 Jan 2022  ·  Northern Premier League - Midlands
Ilkeston Town
3
1
Belper Town FC
First Team
Nailers second best in top-of-the-table clash

Nailers second best in top-of-the-table clash

Nigel Oldrini2 Jan 2022 - 11:20
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Belper Town came out second best against a Robins side whose second half performance was stronger in all departments and was assisted by some questionable defending.

Ilkeston, spurred on by being behind to a Jonathon Margetts penalty at the break, set about the Nailers ruthlessly to wipe away a first half deficit and take advantage of unforced errors to win the game comfortably.

Belper have done extremely well to get where they are, but their performances have arguably tailed off lately despite being able to keep the points total ticking over at a steady rate.

Most notably they have found teams around them in the top six difficult to compete against and they have also have also occasionally struggled to overcome teams at the other end of the table too.

The Nailers will miss ‘keeper Ollie Battersby who returns to his parent club Grimsby Town after the Ilkeston game, as he has been a consistent performer during his time at the Raygar Stadium.

He had a major part to play at the New Manor Ground and was soon in action after 9 minutes when he got a hand to a Zak Goodson shot after the Nailers had been caught on the break.

Belper had another close shave on 15 minutes when the Robins capitalised on hesitancy on the bye line resulting in an opportunity for Remaye Campbell who was astonished to see Battersby block his close range shot.

The Nailers had enjoyed possession in the Robins’ half but hadn’t tested Ross Durrant in the hosts’ goal until Brodie Litchfield fired a good effort straight at the ‘keeper on 20 minutes.

Litchfield connected well with another effort on the half hour mark, but once again Durrant had the measure of it, however 2 minutes later the Nailers had won a penalty kick after Jonathon Margetts was tripped by Aman Verma as he turned in the box.

Margetts took the spot kick himself and impressed with a clinical strike that gave Durrant no chance.

The Nailers were good value for their half time lead although there was an anxious moment when Joe McGuire’s 39th minute shot shaved the foot of the post.

The hosts’ imposed themselves on the game after the break and Belper’s propensity to concede endless free kicks close to the edge of the penalty area was always going to lead to problems for the Nailers’ defence.

From one such free kick in the 60th minute and a subsequent cross into the box , Kieran Fenton got a vital touch to score the equaliser and send the majority of the NMG into raptures.

While the momentum was now clearly with Ilkeston, Belper had their moments that could have led to them regaining the lead.

Nathan Curtis had a great run on 65 minutes but made a poor choice with his final pass, and there were other moments when the hosts were caught on the break, but the pressure was mounting on the Nailers who conceded a second goal after some persistent work from Goodson on the left.

He found Charlie Wakefield on the edge of the 6 yard box and while his first shot came back off the post, he drilled his follow up effort under Battersby to score.

Belper found it increasingly difficult to move the ball forward and in the final minute Goodson was rewarded for his persistence by stealing the ball from Josh Waldram as he was leaving it to run out of play.

The Robins’ winger ruthlessly drilled the ball past Battersby to crown a great afternoon for the hosts in front of a huge New Year’s Day crowd.

It’s not the end of the world for Belper who live to fight another day, but the manner of the defeat will be concerning for Grant Black and his back room team, as they face inform Sporting Khalsa and Stamford in their next two games.

Ilkeston Town: Durrant, Verma, Bennett, Wakefield, Maguire, Fenton, Goodson, Reid, Campbell (Chapman 63), Troke, Brown-Hill (Bird 63). Unused subs: Irvine, Carvell, Williams.

Belper Town: Battersby, Goode, Rhodes, Waldram, South, Jordan, Litchfield (Nelthorpe 68), Robson, Demidh (Bertram 84), Margetts, Curtis (Peterson 74). Unused subs: Mancinelli, Wilson

Referee: Jamie O’Connor

Attendance: 2,063

Match details

Match date

Sat 01 Jan 2022

Kickoff

15:00

Attendance

2,063

Competition

Northern Premier League - Midlands

League position

1
Ilkeston Town
3
Belper Town
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