|
Belper Town welcomed local
rivals and old adversaries Matlock Town to Christchurch Meadow for this
penultimate pre-season friendly fixture.
The Nailers were hoping to
continue a successful pre-season campaign with their previous game ending
in a 2-0 win at Hallam a few days earlier.
The core of the team likely to
be first choice in next Saturday’s opener against Loughborough were named
in the starting eleven, but with one notable absentee in joint manager
Danny Hudson who was unavailable, however former Alfreton Town defender
Mark Barnard playing alongside Jon Hobson in defence.
Among the substitutes was
Krystof Kotylo who may have had a change of mind about his availability
to play for the Nailers this season, whilst named in the Matlock side
were Ashley Foyle and Ross Hannah, both well known to Nailers supporters.
The Nailers started the game
strongly and pressed the Gladiators back for the first five minutes and
Matlock’s first attempt on goal came from Ross Hannah’s 6th
minute free kick that flew high over the target.
However the Gladiators went
one up in the 8th minute when a slick move on the left
culminated with a low near post cross from Hannah, and Dene Cropper
finished off from close range.
Matlock’s lead didn’t last
long as the Nailers were back on level terms two minutes later when Lee
Stevenson curled a right footed free kick into the far corner of the
net much to the surprise of ‘keeper Andy Richmond.
Stevenson nearly repeated the
feat with another attempt from a more acute angle on 18 minutes but a
Gladiator’s defender managed to head the ball off the line, then Jon
Hobson was adjudged to have fouled Hannah on 22 minutes but Steve Warne’s
free kick flew harmlessly out for a goal kick.
Cropper thought he was going
to score when he ran through strongly 3 minutes later but Paul Pettinger
managed to palm the ball away with an acrobatic save.
Belper looked unlucky not to
have won a penalty following a corner kick in the 31st minute
when Mark Barnard seemed to be pushed inside the six yard area as he
jumped for the ball but the referee, who appeared to have a clear view of
the incident, wasn’t interested.
Both teams stifled each
other’s movements in the latter stages of the half and with very little
to concern either goalkeeper the referee’s whistle brought to an end a
very even 45 minutes.
The second half began in a
similar vein with the ball spending most of its time in the middle third,
but Ben Walker went close in the 52nd minute with a snap shot
into the side netting from the edge of the penalty area.
The Nailers went into the lead
soon afterwards when Andy Rushbury was on hand to volley the ball
home from 12 yards after a cross from the right rebounded out to him.
However the visitors were soon
back level when Dene Cropper nodded in Hannah’s cross on 60
minutes and then the Nailers found themselves behind three minutes later
after Barnard felled Hannah inside the penalty area and Simon
Barraclough converted.
Lee Stevenson put a header
over the cross bar on 66 minutes as Belper tried to get back into it but
a number of substitutions had taken some of the impetus out of Belper’s
play.
Ross Hannah was left unmarked
in the 77th minute and Pettinger was at full stretch to palm
his header over the crossbar, but the Nailers couldn’t raise their game
sufficiently to get the equalising goal their overall performance
deserved.
Photo
Gallery courtesy of Matlock Town FC
Author name
|
