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Belper Town kicked off the new
UniBond League season against newcomers Loughborough Dynamo and made
extremely hard work of the victory.
Sporting a brand new kit
bearing the name of the club’s main sponsor Godkin Holdings the Nailers
had key striker Anthony Wilson unavailable because of suspension but
otherwise they were at full strength.
A poor clearance from Paul
Pettinger went straight to Kris Nurse inside the first minute but
fortunately for the Belper ‘keeper the Loughborough striker’s shot flew
well wide.
Ben Walker intercepted an
under hit back pass in the 3rd minute but Jake Betts was
positioned on the goal line to clear Walker’s shot on the angle off the
line.
The visitors created a good opportunity
on 11 minutes when Callum Ross sent over a long cross to the far side of
the penalty area where Kris Nurse volleyed a presentable chance well
wide.
Andy Rushbury turned to strike
a tremendous volley just past the far post on 15 minutes, but soon
afterwards Kris Nurse ran strongly through the middle on 23 minutes and
although Jon Hobson brought him down, the same player could do nothing
with the free kick.
The Nailers almost created the
opening goal in the 27th minute when Jimmy Ghaichem crossed perfectly
for Ben Walker running in but he put his volley just over the bar and
then Belper had another great opportunity on 30 minutes with Ghaichem
again the provider and this time Lee Stevenson slipped past a defender
but sent his shot just wide of the far post.
However Loughborough’s Karl
Noble had the best chance of the game so far when the ball came to him 10
yards out and from an unmarked position he saw Paul Pettinger save
brilliantly from his shot.
Belper were soon back on the
offensive and another great through ball from Ghaichem found Ben Walker
but he couldn’t find the target from a narrow angle.
Walker spurned an even better
opportunity seconds later when Danny Hudson split the Belper defence
leaving the Belper striker with just Matt Nurse to beat, however the
‘keeper got in the way of his shot.
Loughborough took the lead on
42 minutes when Danny Gibbons struck a 40 yard pass straight down the
middle and with Pettinger and Colliver indecisive as to who would get it,
Callum Ross stuck a foot out and sent the ball in to the
net.
Walker should have equalised
almost immediately but chose to blast the ball when faced with Matt Nurse
and consequently it went over the cross bar.
The Nailers emerged for the
second period knowing they needed to keep creating chances, and there was
an early opportunity for Ben Walker when Jimmy Ghaichem found him with a
quickly taken free kick, but he couldn’t control the ball.
Belper continued to play the
ball to feet but it just wouldn’t go for them and in the 61st
minute Ghaichem’s clever ball play won a corner from which Colliver
headed into the danger area but the Nailers just couldn’t get the ball
over the line.
Jon Hobson should have
relieved Belper’s frustration when he headed a free kick wide from an
unchallenged position on the edge of the six-yard area, and a procession
of chances had come Belper’s way only to go begging.
Mark Barnard was the next
player to miss although his shot from Danny Hudson’s cross was
brilliantly hit, the ball hit the cross bar then Richard Tracey couldn’t
turn the ball in during the ensuing scramble.
However Tracey proved to be
Belper’s saviour in the 74th minute when he supplied a
brilliant cross from the bye-line and Danny Hudson was on hand to
force the ball over the line for the equaliser.
The ground erupted on 81
minutes when Ben Walker cut inside to unleash a low drive just
inside the near post from 20 yards to give the Nailers a deserved lead.
All credit to Loughborough,
having seen their lead disappear in the space of 7 minutes they raised
their game in the final 10 and pushed the Nailers back into their own
half.
Kris Nurse came closest to
grabbing a point for the visitors with a shot on the turn that curled
away from the upright at the last moment.
A winning start then for the Nailers
but they certainly made hard work of what should have been a much easier
victory if only based purely on chances created.
Photo
Gallery (Courtesy of Tim Harrison Photography)
Nigel
Oldrini
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