Frickley 5 Belper 1

Beautiful Blues blitz Belper

Les Bleus gave a display of eye wateringly beautiful football from gun to tape - the best display I've seen since.....last Monday against Chasetown.

We started with the same eleven that started against Buxton on Saturday & we had chances to score with the first serious attack of the game in the first minute - Gav set up Dugdale for a shot & the ball ping ponged back & forth in the area & finally Richie Patts had the final attempt & it went out for a corner. Then Nodder had a good long range shot just over - all this in the first 5 minutes. Then we had a decent penner shout given when Gav appeared to be taken down in the box - not given. Next up, Duggie lofted a lovely cross which Teddy Bloor headed wide at the far post.

Nodder & Duggie worked well down both flanks & whipped some cracking balls in for the front line to work with, & it was the former that set up the next chance, he worked it to Haze & they set up Gav to roll the defence & force a good save from the keeper. Next Stevie H repeated the dose but pulled his shot into the side netting. The goal was coming & it duly obliged & given the great football that had gone before it had elements of route 1 about it, a long clearance from Sebba, laid off by Gav to Haze & Jake took it into the box & stuck it in the onion bag - 1 up on 36 minutes.

For all the total football we ended the half with just the 1 goal

HALF TIME - FRICKLEY 1 BELPER 0

I think words must have been exchanged in the Belper dressing room as a different team came out 2nd half, they actually ventured into our half, won a soft free kick & scored from it after about 2 minutes! They had about 5 minutes of pressure & then normal service was resumed. Jammer hits the bar from a corner straight after.

Stevie Hopewell had done his work for the night, replaced by Carl Stewart. Another corner soon after & Haze hits a wormburner just wide of the upright.

The most noticeable thing about Frickley was that despite wanting & needing a goal they never panicked - they had urgency but not panic - & another great cross from Duggie set up Gav but his header hit the post. Then Gav set up Tom but he put it into the side netting as we got to the hour mark.

Richie Patterson came off having picked up a knock - he put in a great shift - & was replaced by Jack Burton.

75 minutes gone, 15 left - is a goal ever going to come? Yes it is, courtesy of a cross from Tom & Rocksteady Teddy crashes home from close range! Then like London buses........a quality passage of play & Gav sets up Carl Stewart, into the box & The Surgeon finishes beautifully - bottom corner.

Then the move of the game - 15 passes (not lying) & the ball ends up at Rocksteady's feet & it's 4-1. At that point Haze was replaced by Rhys Davies.

Final goal - a free kick about 25 yards out - Jason 'The Guvnor' Yates runs up to take it, sees the keeper moving one way & has the audacity to deliberately aim his shot at the edge of the wall to deflect it in & send the keeper the wrong way - the nerve of the man!! If it had been on MOTD, Lineker would have thrown his Crocs in the air in sheer delight.

That ended the proceedings for the evening - an absolute oil painting of a performance.

A word about Belper, they are a clinical goal-scoring unit - they had one chance all game & they scored it!

WEBMASTER MOTM - a supremely difficult call as this was a complete team display, the back line neutralised everything, Duggie & Nodder had their best games in a blue shirt, Haze reminded me of George Best with his socks round his ankles, Gav & Stevie H pulled defenders all over the shop but ultimately our 2nd goal was the killer & the 4th was the move of the game - both finished off by Teddy Bloor & it is he who receives the Glitterball. Well done sir.

180 through the gate - thanks to all of you for coming, trust you enjoyed it - & the bucket collection raised £61.21. Thank you to everyone who contributed & thank you to Chad for facilitating once again.

Attached photo album courtesy of our good friend Onion Bag

Next up - Basford away