Glapwell storm past the leaders

Glapwell recorded their third successive league victory, and in the process ended Appleby’s 100% start to the season, with a thumping 4-0 victory at B

Appleby had recorded six victories from six coming into the game, including last weekend’s record 23-0 victory over Welbeck Welfare but Glapwell were much the better side from the first whistle to the last.
In the process, Glapwell climb to third place, now only three points behind the leaders having played the same games and, with 21 goals scored in the last three league matches, now look capable of outscoring any side in the division.
There was just one change from last weekend’s victory at Dinnington with Jack Hutchinson coming in for his debut at left-back in place of Josh Aitken but Josh Clayton returned to the squad as did Derrick Miller who has returned to the club from Radford.
Glapwell started the game at an impressively high tempo and they were rewarded after just 57 seconds when they took the lead. Jordan Jones won the ball back on the halfway line and played the ball into Josh Parfitt who, in turn, laid the ball off to Daniel Russell whose low effort from 20 yards crept inside the near post.
It was a great start for Glapwell and it caught the home side off guard but things soon got much better as, on seven minutes, the lead was doubled. This time it was Russell that played in Parfitt who skipped clear of a defender and although his effort bounced back off the post Jake Ballinger was in the perfect position to tap home the rebound.
They weren’t even finished there, though, and they were in complete dreamland when they went three goals in front after only eight minutes when Tom Norris’ effort was kept out by home keeper Patrick Shaw but the loose ball only fell as far as Josh Parfitt who tapped home from six yards.
It really was an unbelievable start to the game and the previously unbeaten hosts were left shell-shocked as Glapwell took control although Appleby did have the chance to pull one back on 15 minutes but Kirk Shrimpton dragged the ball wide of the far post.
Glapwell continued to play some great stuff, though, some of which was a pleasure to watch and they could have been rewarded again before the half hour when a great move was capped off by Tom Norris whose dinked effort from just outside the area was just inches over the bar.
Although the home side did settle down a little bit and come into it slightly, Glapwell were always comfortable in the first period and they looked like the side that would be taking an even bigger advantage into the half-time interval.
Just before the break, it should have been four when Jordan Jones played in Parfitt who burst into the area but he blazed his shot high over the bar.
But Glapwell would have been delighted with the three-goal advantage that they took into the half-time interval especially given their first half struggles of the previous couple of weeks.
The second half wasn’t one of that many clear-cut chances although the home side did have a couple of decent half chances that they wasted at the start of the second period, firstly home captain Matthew Oates headed tamely straight at Ryan Hopkins.
Then just after the hour, the dangerous Ryan Watson, who was the home side’s best player on the day, played in Richard Golland who was in plenty of space but he fired a weak effort straight into the body of Hopkins from eight yards.
Glapwell continued to press, though, and kept the high intensity which was pleasing as they could have been quite happy to sit back and protect what the first half had given them.
With 15 minutes to go, the home side went very close to pulling a goal back when the ball was bouncing around in the area and fell to Kirk Shrimpton but he dinked his effort over the bar from 12 yards.
On 80 minutes, though, Glapwell were just inches away from what would have been a spectacular fourth as Derrick Miller made one of the several dangerous runs he made down the right and he chipped the ball into the area which was only headed away as far as Tom Norris who hit a sweet half volley from 25 yards which was just inches past the post.
With three minutes remaining, though, Glapwell added a fourth that their play had deserved as Josh Clayton was on hand to head home the rebound from a couple of yards out after Adam Kimberley’s free-kick from 25 yards had crashed back off the crossbar.
It was the icing on the cake for a great afternoon for Glapwell who had been in charge throughout and recorded an impressive victory that maintains their 100% away record with four victories from four.
As previously mentioned, they climb to third and are now only three points behind Appleby who remain top despite losing their 100% record.
There is no game next weekend due to Askern’s County Cup commitments so they are next in action on 10th October when they host East Midlands Counties League side Stapenhill FC at Hall Corner in the first round of the Derbyshire Senior Cup.

Goals: Russell (Glapwell) 1; Ballinger (Glapwell) 7; Parfitt (Glapwell) 8; Clayton (Glapwell) 87
Appleby: Patrick Shaw, Daniel Ellerby (Sam Thorne 80), Matthew Oates, Louis Brackenbury, Liam Wright (Ryan Oates 74), Philip Doyle, Paul Tait, Kirk Shrimpton, Nathan Watson, Connor Couch (Jaime Ture HT), Richard Golland. Sub not used: Joe Moloney
Glapwell: Ryan Hopkins, Ryan Duffy-McGirr, Jack Hutchinson, Lee Naughton, Sam Ward, Jordan Jones, Tom Norris, Adam Kimberley, Daniel Russell (Derrick Miller 78), Josh Parfitt (Josh Clayton 70), Jake Ballinger (Robert Hardie 67). Sub not used: Ross Murcott
Glapwell Man of the Match: Adam Kimberley
Yellow Cards: Kimberley (Glapwell) 33; Shrimpton (Appleby) 42; R Oates (Appleby) 90
Referee: Anthony Wingate (Edwinstowe)