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Grantham Town lose to Belper Town in injury time




Northern Premier Division East

Grantham Town 2

Belper Town 3

Action from Grantham Town's defeat to Belper Town at The Meres. Photo: Toby Roberts
Action from Grantham Town's defeat to Belper Town at The Meres. Photo: Toby Roberts

Grantham Town had what would have been a welcome win snatched away from them in injury time at The Meres on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Gingerbreads went into half time a goal down but bounced back after the break, levelling early in the second half and going ahead with 10 minutes remaining.

Several second half injuries, a couple of them ironically Grantham’s, persuaded referee Mr Gupta to add on a minimum of seven minutes – and Belper Town made full use of them to steal the win.

The Nailers looked the more dangerous side from the off and only stout Gingerbreads defending kept them at bay.

The visitors’ first real chance came from a fifth minute free kick but Cameron Johnson blasted over.

Grantham goalkeeper Curtis Hall’s catch snaffled out Mason Warren’s cross-cum-shot two minutes later, whilst Johnson hoofed over the bar in the 10th minute.

The Gingerbreads’ first real opportunity came a minute later when Harry Wood ran down the right and tried his luck with a cross-cum-shot which went over the target.

On 17 minutes, Grantham’s Brad Munns cleared from midfield with a good long ball to Greg Smith who laid it on to Rodrigo Goncalves. His shot was repelled and the ball ended up back with Smith who sent it forwards to Akeel Francis, but Belper keeper Jon Hedge caught above his head.

The visitors went in front in the 24th minute. With the Grantham defence at sixes and sevens, Johnson cut in and shot in off the far post from an extremely acute angle.

Johnson went close again with a header two minutes later, only missing the target narrowly from a Ben Rhodes throw-in.

The Gingerbreads’ best chance to level in the first half came in the 38th minute. First, Francis miskicked completely and then Goncalves pounced on the errant ball but managed to fire wide – both opportunities being real sitters from close range.

Grantham had a let-off in the second minute of first half added time when Alex Troke’s close range header somehow managed to miss the target from substitute James Cadman’s sublime ball across the face of goal.

The Gingerbreads looked more composed after the half time break and had the first opportunity five minutes in, but Ethan Boyang’s free kick was headed clear.

A second Grantham free kick, two minutes later, saw Munns curl over the Belper wall but into the arms of waiting keeper Hedge.

Goncalves and Boyang both had chances to fire home in the 56th minute before, a minute later, the Gingerbreads levelled. Munns’s squared ball across the face of goal found Francis who knocked it into the back of the net.

Belper were awarded a free kick for a shirt pull in the 59th minute, but Kevin Bastos’ effort flew over the wall and the bar.

Under no pressure, Goncalves dragged his 65th minute shot well wide when he really should have done better.

The next quarter of an hour was a bit of a stalemate, with Cadman’s 78th minute volley wide the closest any player went to scoring.

But two minutes later and the Gingerbreads were in front. Munns sent a sweet long ball through to Goncalves. Keeper Hedge made a mistake and Goncalves was practically able to walk the ball into the net for 2-1.

Grantham conceded a free kick two minutes later after a foul on James Revamelle, but Warren’s effort went straight to home keeper Hall.

The Gingerbreads made little use of their 90th minute corner kick and then it was into referee Mr Gupta’s minimum of seven minutes added time.

Four minutes in, and Grantham allowed the visitors the freedom of the penalty area where Bastos headed in from Cadman’s ball into the danger area to make it two apiece.

With the seven minutes of injury time up, the Gingerbreads might have thought they had ridden the storm and would have reluctantly resigned themselves to a draw.

But Mr Gupta wanted to see still more and another minute gave Belper’s Phil Watt, in space aplenty, time to side-foot in past Hall to snatch victory for the visitors.

Grantham Town: Hall, Christie, Solomon, Tessler, Muggleton, Munns, Goncalves, Boyang, Smith ©, Wood (Elkossi 66), Francis. Subs not used: Bahrey, Robbemond, Flynn. Att: 303.



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