Belper Town beaten after disappointing display at Cleethorpes

When the original fixture was scheduled, the Nailers were sitting proudly on top of the NPL East division three points clear of Hebburn Town, who still retain second spot all these months later.

The Nailers haven’t been able to show the same consistency in form unfortunately and currently lie outside the play off zone in sixth place.

The reason for this fall off in form was apparent in this game as they were unable to make an impression on a Cleethorpes team that no doubt expected a more difficult game than it was.

Kevin Bastos returned after his four-game suspension, but the impressive Rhys Dolan had been called back to his parent club leaving Ben Rhodes to fill in at left back.

Karl Demidh was serving another suspension after his dismissal against Sheffield, but otherwise the Nailers should have had enough in their locker to beat mid table Cleethorpes.

A poor start hampered Belper’s ambitions when Curtis Bateson seemingly ran through the Nailers defence unchallenged to slot the ball past Dan Moore in the 6th minute.

A good run and cross from Bastos straight from the restart nearly resulted in an equaliser, and shortly afterwards they forced two corners in quick succession, and from one of them Mason Frizelle sent a looping header just over the bar.

The Nailers were incensed by a dreadful refereeing decision on 14 minutes when Brodie Litchfield looked to have escaped the attentions of former Nailer Ben Millington, and with his path to goal unheeded he was deliberately tripped by the Cleethorpes defender.

A red card looked a certainty for Middleton, but the referee only gave a yellow which left Belper and their supporters seething with injustice.

The game descended into a scrappy affair, and it would be fair to say that nothing was created by the Nailers in the whole of the rest of the game.

Will Annan should have added to Cleethorpes score on 38 minutes but put his shot wide, and Belper continued to look vulnerable on the break in what was turning out to be a disappointing display by the Nailers.

The second half was just as disappointing for those who had made the 190-mile round trip, with Belper virtually totally absent in the hosts’ penalty area for much of the half.

Cleethorpes scored a second goal on 53 minutes from another swift breakaway, and Josh Walker had all the time he needed to drill the ball home inside the far post.

The hosts should have wrapped things up on 72 minutes after Belper were caught out again but an incredible miss from Bateson left the Nailers with a glimmer of hope.

Manager Lee Attenborough tried to change things with substitutions, and although there was plenty of effort from the Belper players, there was clearly no way back.

Cleethorpes looked faster and stronger throughout and the Nailers will have to be better when the Owls make the journey to the Raygar for the corresponding fixture this coming Saturday.