The Greens looked on for another resounding defeat on 75 minutes after goals from Jack Thatcher, Reuben Nwadike and Lewis Belgrave had given the visitors a 3-0 lead – but they rallied well in the final quarter of an hour to reduce arrears to 3-2 as goals from Jack Eden and Ollie Fields threatened an unlikely comeback. Even though Belper were reduced to 10-men early in stoppage time, the Greens were unable to find a leveller, with the visitors seeing out stoppage time with little fuss.

Manager Matt Evans made just one change to the side that fought their way to a 1-1 draw at Gresley Rovers a fortnight back. That adjustment saw Lewis Greenfield drop back amongst the substitutes as Josh Parker rose from amongst them for his first start in three games. Visitors Belper United meanwhile were in action last Saturday afternoon despite the inclement weather where they were 3-0 victors over Deeping Rangers. The made two changes to their side, welcoming Luke Zona, and Jack Thatcher back into the starting eleven as both Bernard Yaa and Joshua Gregory dropped out of the side.

The Greens were actually the better of the two sides early on, and though both shared the territory, it was most certainly the hosts who came closest to opening the scoring. Ben Robson was the first man to try his luck, flashing an effort across the face of the goal having broken free from his man before Lewis Smalley forced Ben Ashall’s freekick over the bar at the back post just two minutes later.

Harry Gibbons – a scorer at Gresley a fortnight back – could have found the opener after Ashall put him into space, but the lack of conviction on his effort certainly made life easy for Joe Fryatt in the Belper goal who scooped his effort up without much trouble. The visitors were, by this stage, growing into the contest and signs of their growing threat came when Jack Thatcher dragged wide of the mark after he’d been well spotted by the advancing Sam Birks. Back at the other end, the Greens were not deterred by the opponents growing confidence and should have led when Nick Hood’s back-pass sold Fryatt short, the visiting keeper reacting well to foil Nathan Brettoner’s poke goalward.

Sure enough though, the Greens were soon made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Belper took the lead in stunning fashion just short of the half-hour – Jack Thatcher the man on hand at the edge of the box to power a lose clearance beyond the helpless dive of Leech to put United ahead. It was soon 2-0 to the visitors, and in similar circumstances it was too, Surafel Tefera advancing dangerously before forcing the ball into the melee, one that Reuben Nwadike made the most of, crashing the visitors second into the top corner.

The Greens responded well despite their increasingly challenging predicament and should have had one back in a remarkable passage of play that saw Ollie Fields, Nathan Brettoner and Harry Gibbons all take a pop at Fryatt’s goal only to find either a Belper man or Fryatt himself in the way each time – the hosts eventually forced to settle for a corner. There was still time for Belper to nearly extend their lead yet further with the final throws of the first half, Harrison Leech getting down swiftly to deny Jack Thatcher from Tefera’s freekick, before he was up quickly to collect from Kieran O’Connell from range.

A frantic opening to the second half saw both sides exchange early chances, Harrison Leech on hand to deny Thatcher before Harry Gibbons powered a well-placed freekick over the crossbar after Ollie Fields driving run had been abruptly halted. The game lulled somewhat around the hour mark, until that is, the visitors found the killer third goal they had been chasing – a slack Greens pass intercepted by James Ward who subsequently teed up Lewis Belgrave to power beyond Leech and put the Greens firmly out of sight.

Anyone thinking of an early exit though were soon to be drawn back in as the Greens fought back in admirable fashion. The lifeline was grabbed with just nine minutes remaining as Josh Parker’s excellent inside pass set up Jack Eden to advance on goal and slot unerringly beyond Fryatt. Sensing there might yet be a route back into the contest – the Greens returned very much to the ascendancy late on, Fryatt first digging Josh Parker’s cross out from underneath the crossbar before watching helplessly as Lewis Smalley’s drive whistled past his post.

He was helpless just two minutes later when the Greens well and truly threw the cat amongst the pigeons and found a second goal of their own – a fine finish it was too from Ollie Fields who caught a loose ball plum to find the top corner of Fryatt’s net. To the visitors credit, they did nullify any real threat of an equaliser well, even if they did see Nick Hood sent off for a lunge on Joe Wilkinson in the opening seconds of stoppage time – but in the end, there was to be no miracle comeback despite the Greens best efforts.

Words: Oliver Atkin