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Belper Town faced
Hucknall Town in their fifth pre season friendly at Christchurch Meadow.
The Yellows
represented the Nailers’ stiffest test so far as the Conference North
side were no doubt keen on avenging their defeat in the FA Cup against
Belper last season.
Hucknall were
saved from relegation to the UniBond Premier League thanks to the demises
of Boston United and Nuneaton Borough and live to fight another season in
the Conference North.
The visitors
included former Nailers Kelvin Mushambi, Mark Smith, Dave Kettle and Matt
McKenzie in their squad.
Traffic problems
on the M1 caused a forty minute delay in the kick off causing many of the
Sheffield based Belper players to get held up en route to the ground.
The game started
without Anthony Wilson and Danny Hudson, while Paul Pettinger took over
from ‘stand in’ ‘keeper Andy Carney after 15 minutes.
Belper created an
early opportunity in the 3rd minute when Andy Rushbury
intercepted a pass in midfield and released Micky Harcourt on the left,
but the Hucknall ‘keeper James Lindley saved his shot well.
But within seconds
the visitors had taken the lead when Paul Mitchell struck a first
time volley past Andy Carney from a right wing cross.
Joe Ward went
close with a snap shot from 15 yards in the 7th minute, but
the Nailers were unlucky in the 12th when Jon Hobson met Lee
Stevenson’s free kick with a glancing header, however Lindley was alert
enough to make the save.
The Nailers had a
let off in the 21st minute after the ball ran between two
defenders leaving Danny Bacon to waste a clear shooting opportunity.
Lee Stevenson was
also guilty of missing a good chance seconds later when he was through on
goal, but his first effort was blocked and his second went straight into
the ‘keeper’s arms.
Nathan Winder toe
poked a close range opportunity wide following a 23rd minute
corner kick but Belper were containing Hucknall fairly comfortably whilst
doing their best to catch them on the counter, but in a half shortened by
5 minutes by the referee neither side was able to create anything clear
cut.
Anthony Wilson and
Danny Hudson were on for the second half and Hucknall began a series of
substitutions themselves.
Anthony Wilson
almost levelled the scores with a glancing header that beat the ‘keeper
and hit the outside of the post, but in the 58th minute the
Nailers struck when Lee Stevenson converted Andy Rushbury’s cross
from the right.
The Nailers took
the lead 3 minutes later and it was Stevenson again who did the
damage when he latched on to a Wilson header and lobbed the keeper
perfectly.
Belper’s two goals
injected life into the game as Hucknall re-organised, and Belper should
have wrapped it up when Ben Walker crossed into the penalty area and
somehow Steven Murphy managed to put the ball wide.
That miss proved
costly when Dave Kettle raced through to score on 79 minutes
although he looked suspiciously off side when he made his run.
Wilson deserved
better with a strong run and shot from the edge of the area in the 83rd
minute but the ‘keeper held the Belper striker’s well struck effort.
The tempo
continued to be brisk for the remainder of the half whereupon an
entertaining game was brought to a close by the referee and the Nailers
could look back on a good performance against more senior opposition.
Tim
Harrison’s Photo Gallery
Nigel Oldrini
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