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After winning their first
three friendly outings of the pre-season programme the Nailers squared up
to UniBond Premier Division outfit Worksop Town at Christchurch Meadow.
Belper are already being noted
for their slick passing game and there was an air of expectation around
the ground that supporters would be treated to more of the same, but a
more experienced Worksop showed more guile and poise at the times it
mattered most.
The Nailers caused an early
scare for the visitors after Ben Walker collected a loose ball in
midfield before releasing it out wide for Lee Stevenson to fire just past
the far post.
The Tigers also showed early
season crispness in their passing and in the 6th minute Dave
Cockerill’s curling cross into the box was met by Paul Stansfield, but he
couldn’t connect properly and sustained an injury for his trouble.
Another cross from Cockerill
reached the towering Andy White but Paul Pettinger saved at full stretch
comfortably enough.
The Nailers worked the ball
well down the right hand side in the 26th minute and Ben
Kistell found Ben Walker with a long cross towards the far post but the
Belper striker put his first time volley wide of the target.
Belper were found ball
watching as Worksop opened the scoring on 28 minutes. Following an
in-swinging corner from the right Paul Stansfield was on hand to
head firmly into the net from just inside the six-yard line.
Danny Hudson nearly restored
parity with an ambitious and bold charge at the Tigers’ defence and he
sent Lee Walker sprawling to save at the foot of the post.
Andy Rushbury was a whisker
away moments later with a header from just inside the area as the Nailers
put pressure on the visitors.
Rushbury fired in another
effort on 38 minutes, this time a fierce shot from 20 yards and Walker
was happy to push the ball away for a corner kick.
Ben Walker’s persistence in
the 44th minute allowed Anthony Wilson to break with the ball
but his effort from just outside the penalty area was high and wide and
the Nailers went in at half time very much on equal terms possession
wise, if not in goals scored.
Andy Rushbury had an
opportunity moments after the re-start but could only hit his shot
straight at the ‘keeper, then Nailers were indebted to Paul Pettinger in
the 48th minute when he kept out White’s long range effort
with a superb save.
Rushbury was inches away with
a corner kick on 58 minutes that curled just past the far post, and he
tried a crafty effort with the outside of his boot soon afterwards and
Walker had difficulty in dealing with the bounce of the ball.
Belper were presented with the
opportunity to level the scores on 60 minutes when Paul Dempsey bundled
over Anthony Wilson inside the penalty area leaving Lee Stevenson
to convert the spot kick with consummate ease.
However it wasn’t long before
Worksop regained their lead when Steve Akers capitalised on
hesitancy in the Belper defence to roll the ball into the net on 64
minutes.
The game slowly started to
fizzle out as a contest as the light faded and the referee brought the
game to a halt with 8 minutes left on the clock because the floodlights
down one side of the ground had failed to come on.
Nevertheless this was another
good workout against a strong and experienced Worksop side and it had
been just two moments of loss of concentration that had cost the Nailers
in the end.
Belper Town:
Pettinger, Pride, Haigh, Hudson (Smith 45), Harcourt, Lowe, Walker
(Murphy 65), Stevenson, Wilson, Kistell (Ghaichem 45, Rushbury.
Worksop Town:
Walker, Ludlam, Cockerill, Dempsey (Jordan 65), Jennings, Dawson,
Stansfield, McClements (Nelthorpe 59) White (Burridge 65), Jackson,
Akers.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
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