Belper 3, Doncaster 2
BELPER put behind them the frustrations of the previous weekend to lift themselves to third place in the Conference North Division of the national league after a tension-filled win.
The hosts began on the back foot by conc
eding a goal inside three minutes.
The ball was given away in midfield and Doncaster counter attacked at pace. Although the initial shot was going wide, Abby Brant managed to get her stick to the ball to deflect it into goal.
Belper responded well with a goal on eight minutes. A long pass out of defence found Charlotte Hobbs in space. She beat her marker then slipped a pass to Rhiannon Rogers who moved it onto Joanna Leigh. The resultant reverse stick shot was unstoppable, high into the net.
Alas, Belper’s concentration slipped almost immediately as another turnover in midfield allowed Doncaster to penetrate the home defence.
This time Brant’s shot was high in the corner of the goal giving keeper Sabbie Heesh no chance.
Again the Nailers came back and equalised in the 21st minute when Anna Toman’s penalty corner strike was deflected high into the net off a defender’s stick to level it at 2-2.
The game then settled down with Belper having the majority of possession and territorial advantage but unable to make it count. Doncaster still looked dangerous as they hit the ball upfield to clear their lines.
At half-time Belper believed that they could take all three points but it proved a difficult task to break down the South Yorkshire side’s defence with their goalkeeper on top form.
Leigh and Hobbs both had shots saved as the Nailers continued to press. The winning goal finally came at the fourth penalty corner. Toman’s initial shot was saved at full stretch but Jess Wood was first to the rebound and flicked it over the grounded keeper in an instant.
Belper nervously played out time and allowed Doncaster a penalty corner opportunity with two minutes to go but the defence team were admirable in their discipline and quick thinking, as they had been the in last four matches, to deny the visitors.
