Hillmen unlucky in season opener

Glossop North End started the 2019/20 season in the third different division in three seasons losing a very competitive match 0-1 to Stamford. Glossop were dominant throughout the match, but the visitors scored with their only shot on target.

GNE learnt the hard way that if you don't put away your chances, decent opposition could punish you. That being said, Stamford had their keeper Danny Heystead to thank as he pulled off a couple of masterful saves to keep GNE at bay. Firstly, halfway through the second half from a bullet header by Braulio Maeico and latterly from a free kick taken by Henry Limpishi which was heading for the top corner.

The home side's first real chance of the game came in the 34th minute, when 'Eddie' Maeico neatly passed the ball for Szymon Czubik to race into the area and narrowly missing the far post, with the keeper beat. A better chance came with halftime looming with Jack Tuohy passing for Henry Limpishi to beat his man and have a shot from the corner of the 18-yard box narrowly missing the near post with the Stamford keeper in no-man's land.

The new Hillmen squad entered the dressing room with 45 mins of competitive football in the bag in the ascendancy.

Sadly, all the hard work in the first half was undone within 2 minutes of the restart. A long route one ball from Danny Heystead eluded 3 Glossop defenders as it bounced to the edge of the area where Cosmas Matwasa volleyed the ball over Dale Latham in the Glossop net.

The home side kicked on with a renewed vigour after that with a number of half chances. Jack Tuohy shooting over and loanee Czubik shooting straight at the keeper. In the 60th minute Tuohy swung a corner in to be met by Maeico bullet header on the sixth yard box, making the Stamford keeper pull off a reflex save high to his left.
All the home crowd felt hard done by in the 86th minute when Szymon was felled in the area while trying to turn for a shot. The referee pointed to the ball and on replay it appeared that the defender just touched the ball before clattering the striker.

The game drew to a close with a free kick about 20 yards from the Stamford goal. Henry Limpishi struck a sweet shot which was curling into the top near corner, but the Stamford stopper was just equal to the attempt and turned it around the post.

Glossop will look to improve on a solid but fruitless start on Tuesday as they face Newcastle Town at Lyme Valley Stadium.

Matchday Report by Chris Haughton
Photograph by Steve Dyson
Highlights by GNEtv - Bandit Productions