COALVILLE TOWN 2-0 BELPER TOWN: match report by The Mowdog...

All’s Not Wells For the Nailers, As the Ravens Take the Pickings

Coalville Town 2 Belper Town 0

(FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round Replay)

This rather blunt and untidy match, during which several chances fell to but were not accepted by the hard-working, unshrinking Belper striker Kieran Wells, was won by two smartly taken goals by the hosts, after they had swept upfield to relieve themselves from some aerial and free-kick pressure by their guests. Belper’s physicality offered them some hope but generally strong Coalville defence by Jamie McAteer and Sam Saunders, then in the second period by Jack Farmer in particular, who made some vital interceptions, kept the Nailers hammerless. A couple of blocks by home goalie Sean Bowles aided the cause and with Jed Davies and Jake Woolley running whippet-like at the visiting defence, the loss of Alex Dean by the hosts wasn’t felt quite as dramatically. I must comment upon a strong refereeing performance too, by Andrew Fox, who did his job with the minimum of fuss, despite the fact that being tall and wearing all-black, Coalville’s wide-players might have been excused for delivering centres towards him, for his kit clashed closely with the Ravens’ attire. Good to speak to the committed Belper boss Peter Duffield before the match and I was welcomed as always by the friendly Coalville staff. Thanks for that…

The toss...

Matt Varley made an early block for Belper, following a Coalville corner but Alex Dean was hurt in a heavy clash and he was forced to leave the field, making way for Way: Ashley, in fact. Belper exerted some pressure for a short while, with a couple of corners and a couple of huge throws-in by Varley; Wells had a near post header deflected over the home crossbar and from a left-side throw by Varley, Mark Ward’s header was nodded wide, also at the near stick. The slick Woolley ran onto a long clearance by the hosts and beat ‘keeper Scott Low to the ball, only for fine covering by Belper’s Regan Edridge to save his team. Woolley curled a shot from inside-left over the right angle of bar and post and the spectators looked surprised whenever Low took a goal-kick, for all the outfield players moved to the goalie’s left, leaving the pitch looking like a sheep-field at feeding time.

The vociferous Mr Duffield and Mr Godber...

McAteer made a brilliant challenge on Nailer Evan Garnett as the forward took a shot from 18 yards, even winning a goal-kick from the clash then Wells, who had been warned earlier for preventing the taking of a Coalville free-kick quickly, appeared to be fouled but was accused of throwing himself to the ground like a faking wrestler and received a daft yellow card. Edwards’ left-wing corner ended up with the ball falling onto Stuart McNaught’s boot in front of goal but Low fell, er, low to block on his goal-line and then the ‘keeper caught an attempted curling 23 yard free-kick by Davies, as Cameron Stuart, on the substitutes’ bench licked his lips and had to be restrained from running onto the pitch to ‘curl one in’, like he was a Special Teams player for the Denver Broncos. A deep free-kick by Ian Ross (gods, I remember Villa buying Ian Ross from Liverpool many years ago…) found the head of Wells for Belper but again the striker’s direction was wayward. A wild Ward shot flew way off target but then Way powered a 26 yard free-kick at Low’s goal and the ‘keeper tipped the effort over his crossbar for a corner. Cam Stuart was being tied up at this point. When Belper escaped from the flag-kick, Wells passed well to hard-working skipper Steve Warne on the right flank, who involved Garnett, before crossing to the far post but Wells was crowded out and Belper’s best first-half move came to nought.

And that was that. Lots of effort, little creativity, few chances, no goals. End of…

An early second period corner by the guests was taken short and Bowles missed Ross’ cross from the left but two Nailers couldn’t keep the ball in play at the far post. Wells then broke at inside-left for the visitors onto Ward’s square pass but Bowles advanced to save at the forward’s feet, with McAteer completing the clearance at the expense of a corner. At the opposite end, a fine low pass from the Coalville left found Danny Edwards in a very acceptable position, right side of the penalty-box but he drove his bobbling shot across the face of goal, so much so that it at first appeared that it had taken a deflection. Edwards surely wished it had. Belper threatened at times with a succession of free-kicks and long throws and after one long Varley ‘chuck’, the ball was returned to him and he crossed smartly to beyond the far upright, but Garnett’s sliced volley flew well off target. Suddenly though, Coalville broke on the left flank and Woolley’s low centre was met by the supporting McNaught’s right boot and the ball was tucked neatly past Low, low inside the left upright. 1-0! A goal, like a rose amongst weeds...

A fine Ward free-kick from 19 yards was lifted over Coalville’s defensive wall and came down so suddenly that Bowles realised he would have to react, like the star was about to fall off his Christmas tree, but the ball dropped millimetres over his horizontal. Robert (not Louis, surely?) Stevenson replaced Garnett for the Nailers and I believe Edridge was cautioned for a foul but when Belper again threatened with two successive right-side corners, Wells lunged and glanced the second of them wide of the left upright. Ross’ next free-kick from 26 yards, left-side, saw his colleagues hesitate, defenders hesitate and so Bowles, er, hesitated too and the ball bounced harmlessly past the right stick. Another melee in the Coalville penalty-box led to a shot by Wells yet again but again Bowles’ legs came to Coalville’s rescue and the Nailer soon became as angry as I’ve seen him when a Varney throw was headed on but fell to a Raven, not a team-mate.

Ward and Simon Harrison were replaced by Nailers Jon Froggatt and Colin Marrison, mainstays of last term’s class but Coalville held firm with Farmer in his element, as the guests threw themselves forward. Bowles had failed to collect a cross safely but Farmer made a magnificent interception and the Ravens attacked on their right, the right-back supporting Davies well and the winger took over at inside-right, showing smart control and slotting a clever cross-shot past the standing Low and into the bottom left corner of the net to clinch Coalville’s victory.

Woolley had done well for Coalville, with limited service but he was replaced by Matt Brown and straight away, after Farmer’s back-header had been caught by Bowles, the goalie’s punt saw Brown leap with Aaron Pride, catch the defender with a loose arm and get himself dismissed. Incredible! I don’t think he had actually touched the ball before stalking off for his tea and cakes. A move by Coalville ended up with Low hacking a back-pass against Way and nearly conceding a third goal, Bowles saved at Edridge’s feet but an offside flag was wagging anyway and finally, Sam Moore replaced Davies, who earned a rapturous reception of palms striking palms from the home fans.

Brown has been dismissed...

2-0 then and an ugly kind of game ended with sheer frustration on the faces of the Nailers, who had toiled for little reward. In truth, creativity was in short supply and although the occasional heavy aerial barrages caused some concern to Coalville, they survived well enough and had a few chances of their own. Davies and Woolley were the architects, Farmer, McAteer and Saunders the shields and Belper didn’t have the guile to fool their hosts.

Handshakes...

Teams:

Coalville:  Sean Bowles, Jack Farmer, Liam Kay; Sam Saunders, Jamie McAteer, Alex Dean; Lee Miveld (Capt), Danny Edwards, Jake Woolley, Stuart McNaught, Jed Davies.

Subs: Cameron Stuart, Ash Way, Matt Brown, Sam Moore, Olly Brown-Hill.

Belper:  Scott Low, Aaron Pride, Billy Bennett; Ian Ross, Regan Edridge, Matt Varley; Simon Harrison, Steve Warne (Capt), Mark Ward, Evan Garnett, Kieran Wells.

Subs: Jon Froggatt, Rob Stevenson, Colin Marrison, Mark Dudley, Lee Thompson, James Martin (gk).