Ten on the trot as Glapwell march on!

Josh Thomas’ goal just after the half hour was added to by Tom Norris with just under 20 minutes remaining as Glapwell recorded an impressive tenth consecutive league victory; the best run of form in the 26 year history of Glapwell FC dating back to 1989.
With second-placed Phoenix’s game being called off, it extends Glapwell’s advantage at the top to seven points, albeit with Phoenix having two games in hand, and puts them eight points clear of Appleby in third although they have also played a game less.
There were two changes to the Glapwell side as Adam Kimberley returned to the starting line-up while there was a first start since August for Josh Thomas.
Appleby, meanwhile, were dealt a blow in the warm-up as they lost Stephen McCarron, the scorer of 11 league goals to date, to an injury in the warm-up.
Unlike the previous meeting, when Glapwell raced into a 3-0 lead inside the opening eight minutes, the start of this one was more subdued and it was the visitors that went close to taking the lead on 13 minutes when good play by Nathan Watson inside the area brought a fine low save out of Ryan Hopkins at the near post.
The strong winds, as they would at many other games, were playing a part and they made it difficult for any real flowing football to be played and even though Glapwell had the advantage of it in the first period it was sometimes too strong for them to really seize on it.
But they had their first chance on 20 minutes when good work up the left by Josh Thomas saw him cut the ball back to Daniel Russell in the middle but his connection was weak and parried by visiting keeper Patrick Shaw with Russell then putting the rebound straight into Shaw’s hands.
Russell then fired another shot straight at Shaw from distance as did Ryan Cancellara with Glapwell trying a couple of efforts from long range to try and take advantage of the wind in the first 45 minutes.
On the half hour, though, Glapwell went in front when Josh Thomas raced through the visitors defence before rounding the stranded Patrick Shaw and rolling the ball into the empty net for his first goal of the season.
The lead could have been short-lived, though, as the visitors were nearly level only moments later when a corner from the right was flicked on by Danny Boulton and had to be cleared off the line by Jack Hutchinson on the back post.
But Glapwell took a narrow lead into the break but it could have been doubled less than a minute into the second period as Daniel Russell broke clear down the left but his shot from a tight angle only flew into the side netting.
The chances were at a premium for both sides in the second period and the second goal was always going to be crucial in the game which Glapwell nearly got with half an hour remaining when Adam Kimberley’s free-kick from the right flew just inches over the bar.
With less than 20 minutes remaining, though, Glapwell finally got the killer second goal as Kimberley’s short corner from the right was played by Mitchell Mullins to Tom Norris who emphatically half volleyed a shot from the edge of the area into the corner leaving the keeper with absolutely no chance.
That allowed Glapwell more breathing space and their play showed it a little as a good move on 76 minutes nearly set up number three as Daniel Russell laid the ball off to Jake Ballinger whose low shot from the edge of the area was pushed away by visiting keeper Shaw.
Despite some good build-up play, that was the last real clear-cut chance in the match for Glapwell who had already done what they needed to by that point to secure the points although they could have been in for a nervy final few seconds but Ryan Hopkins made a great save to tip over visiting captain Matthew Oates’ free-kick from 25 yards.
This is another big victory, though, for Glapwell against a side that will finish in and around the top three this season and it marks the second double of the season in the last two weeks after last week’s win over Harworth.
It is also Glapwell’s tenth successive league victory, a spell dating back to September, which is also the club’s best run of league form since the formation of Glapwell FC from the Young Vanish in 1989 which is a fabulous achievement by the whole squad.
After struggling for clean sheets in the opening few weeks of the season, this is the third successive clean sheet and fifth in the last eight league matches while Josh Thomas became the 16th different scorer of Glapwell’s 67 goals in all competitions this season.
They are at home again this weekend when the visitors will be Newark Town, who Glapwell beat 3-1 away from home on the opening game of the season, kick-off 2pm.
Goals: Thomas (Glapwell) 30; Norris (Glapwell) 72
Glapwell: Ryan Hopkins, Ryan Duffy-McGirr, Jack Hutchinson (Sean Gardner 83), Ryan Cancellara, Jonathan Heston, Ross Murcott, Tom Norris, Adam Kimberley, Josh Parfitt (Jake Ballinger 73), Daniel Russell, Josh Thomas (Mitchell Mullins 58). Subs not used: Adam Barratt, Josh Clayton
Glapwell Man of the Match: Ryan Duffy-McGirr
Appleby: Patrick Shaw, Ryan Oates, Jaime Ture, Matthew Oates, Andrew Williamson, Paul Tait (Daniel Ellerby 55), Michael Gray, Kirk Shrimpton, Nathan Watson, Danny Boulton, Richard Golland
Yellow Cards: R Oates (Appleby) 26; Parfitt (Glapwell) 38; Golland (Appleby) 67; Murcott (Glapwell) 88
Referee: Daniel Smith