Match Preview

The Match Background

The Greens would well have hoped to be entering into this afternoon’s final game with something to play for, but alas a 2-1 defeat against Eastwood Community last weekend – coupled with Skegness Town’s 0-0 draw with Heanor Town – mathematically ended any hopes of the Greens sneaking into the United Counties League Premier Division North play-offs. Nevertheless, there’s still pride to play for of course, and there will be no doubt that Player/Managers Tom Ward and Nathan Arnold will be expecting the Greens to take this afternoon’s clash as seriously as they would any other. And there’s good reason to expect just that too, with victory guaranteeing the Greens a sixth-place finish in Premier Division North, still a conclusion that would yield the Greens second highest ever league finish – following on from last season’s fifth placed finish. They’ll face another stern test this afternoon in the form of a Belper United side who’ve blown hot and cold this season. Having started the season like a house on fire, the Greens – as their nickname is too – suffered a tough mid-season run which has ultimately seen them drop into mid-table obscurity. Two wins in their last five though have come at the expense of high-flying Lincoln United and Melton Town, suggesting the Derbyshire outfit are not quite yet on the beach and with both sides looking to end their campaigns on a winning note, this afternoon might not be the typical end-of-season affair you’d expect.

Team News

Player/Managers Tom Ward and Nathan Arnold will be forced into at least one change on Saturday afternoon with Charlie Ward beginning a three-match suspension for an accumulation of fifteen yellow cards this campaign – a suspension that will stretch into the opening two United Counties League clashes of next season too. That change will likely see Sebastian Robbemond make a second start in concession while Ward will check on a string of knocks and bumps ahead of the final game, most notably Tristan Drummond who was restricted to just three minutes of action last weekend against Eastwood. Ward and Arnold may well use Saturday afternoons contest as an opportunity to observe some of those players on the fringes of the first team, particularly in the form of attacker Kyle Simpson who will be hoping to add to his five substitute appearances with his first Greens start on Saturday afternoon.

The Opposition

Opponents Belper United meanwhile find themselves in a much similar position to the Greens going into the final contest of the campaign with only pride to play for and a lingering feeling of what might have been as they look back across their campaign. Unbeaten in five games at the beginning of the campaign, the Greens were – rather unexpectedly – top of Premier Division North as the season crept into September. That run included this afternoon’s reverse fixture in which a single Jack Tyson goal proved the difference at Coronation Park as the Greens fell to what was their first defeat of the campaign at that stage. Heavy defeats to Eastwood Community and Wisbech Town proved mere blips as they recorded another five victories in their next seven, including another victory over the Greens, this time winning 3-2 at The MKM Ground to knock the Greens out of the League Cup at the 1st Round stage.

A suggestion that things may be going awry came in the form of back-to-back 4-0 defeats at the hands of Ashby Ivanhoe and Kimberley Miners Welfare and following a 2-0 victory over Deeping Rangers in early November, the Greens went on a torrid run of just one win in fifteen games in all-competitions. That run coincided with the departure of Manager Marc Strzyzewski – the orchestrator of the Greens rise to the summit of Premier Division North - to step four side Gresley Rovers. With that came the expected churn of players and staff, and the upheaval has been clear to see with the Greens side fielded at Melton Town a fortnight ago retaining not a single face from the one the Greens faced in league action at the back end of August.

It all means the Greens will be facing a very different Belper side to the one they encountered twice early on, but despite that, things are just beginning to seem like they are settling down at Coronation Park and that was in evidence with a fantastic 3-0 victory over Melton Town in their penultimate league outing. That came off the back of a 1-0 victory on the road at Lincoln United suggesting neither result was just a flash in the pan and with a top-10 finish still firmly in United’s hands, they too will be motivated to end their season on a high. Whatever happens though, the Greens will no doubt look back on what has been another satisfying campaign at step five where they’ve overcome significant upheaval to stay well clear of any relegation troubles, and that consolidation will ultimately be a more than satisfying outcome for the Derbyshire side.

Previous Meetings

This afternoons clash between the two Greens will be just a fifth meeting in all-in-all. The Greens of the Sleaford variety were twice triumphant last season with both meetings coming during the Greens club-record unbeaten run. Jack Tyson had given the Derbyshire Greens an early second half lead at Eslaforde Park in February last year but goals the final 15-minutes from Charlie Ward and Jacob Fenton turned the game on it’s head in front of exactly one hundred spectators in Lincolnshire. The second meeting was a little more straightforward for the Greens as goals from Joe Butler, Joe Smith, Rodrigo Goncalves and Ryan Rushen saw the visitors storm to a comfortable 4-0 victory in front of sixty-seven spectators in Derbyshire.

Since then, the Greens from Derbyshire have ruled the roost, winning both of this season encounters so far. Jack Tyson’s single goal midway through the second half was enough to defeat Town at Coronation Park back in August while the Greens were also victorious in the United Counties League Knockout Cup 1st Round meeting between the two sides at Eslaforde Park three weeks later. Having fallen 2-0 behind goals from Marcus Pancho and Ryan Rushen looked to have sent the tie to penalties, but Pharell Waite had other ideas, bagging the Derbyshire side a 94th minute winner in front of 123 spectators.

The Match Details

Admission to The MKM Ground on Saturday afternoon is priced at £7 for adults and £4 for concessions with under-sixteen’s free (alongside a paying adult). There is also a military discount available when showing the relative documentation for £5. We can accept both cash and card at the turnstiles and at the bar and snack bar which will be open throughout the game. Copies of our matchday programme the ‘Green Army’ will be available once again with copies priced at £1.50 each on the turnstiles and featuring this week an extended interview with Tom Ward. Saturday’s match referee is Andrew Park, and he is assisted on the day by Kieron Salmons and Anthony Sherrock. Kick-off at the MKM Ground is scheduled for 3.00PM.

Words; Oliver Atkin