UCL PREMIER ~ EASTWOOD CFC 1-3 BELPER UTD

Eastwood CFC.......1 (Dill 86')
Belpers Utd...........3 (Tyson 9', Hanslow 19' and 64')

First home game of the season results in defeat.......

Three changes from Saturday’s defeat to Sleaford with two enforced. Ex-Skipper Jared Holmes comes straight in from the start hours after his homecoming and 17 year old Isaac Morledge and Surafel Tefera make their full debuts. Tyler Johal (work) and Lavell White (injury) both miss out.

This was not the result everyone wanted as the Red Badgers missed out in the second game of the new campaign.

The visitors, newly promoted from last season started the game very well and went at the home side from the off with Ryan Baker going close after 2 minutes. A minute later Richard Hanslow forced Warren Squires into a fine stop and, from the resultant corner, Jack Tyson headed wide.

It wasn’t long before the visitors struck another hammer blow Tyson turning in a Ben Ollett right wing cross from 7 yards. Not to outdone Eastwood started to make moves of their own and after 15 Oliver McCourt had his header saved by Charlie Wood. Squires was the busier of the two custodians and he was alert again saving smartly from Emilio de Abreu.

Minutes later and the lead was doubled. Long serving Greens stalwart Hanslow scoring his 50th goal for the club scoring through a sea of legs. Surafel Tefera brought out the best in Wood who saved Surf’s decent effort with his legs. Then young Isaac Morledge got in the act with a fine strike from a Sam Meakin cross which whistled inches wide.

Baker was causing all sorts of problems for the Eastwood defence down the right flank and was again unlucky again not to extend his teams lead. 0-2 at the break and fully deserve from the visitors despite the Badgers still being well in the game, the Achilles heel being the home’s side to convert decent chances.

Following another good chance for de Abreu and an equally good one from Kyle Wrenn the game settled into a kind of a cat and mouse stalemate with the visitors taking on a kind of “what we have we keep” mentality. Hanslow had other ideas as he sealed the game with his second after a super right wing cross from Jake Dodds.

Eastwood were reduced to 10 men for the second game in succession when Jahren Barrow received a straight red card for an enthusiastic tackle on Martin Smyth in what Mr Elliott perceived to be reckless.

Minutes later the home team scored to give some joy to the watching Badgers fans. A Meakin cross from the left was volleyed home by Ayleal Dill for his first goal for the club.

Too little too late and the records will show 2 defeats in 2. What records will not show, however, is the way the Eastwood team never gave in and continued to be competitive to the end.

Manager Rockley shared his thoughts to me post-game:~
Very dissatisfied with the performance which was a tough watch at times, and something I haven’t seen since last season and it undone an improved pre-season in terms of consistent performance levels. I felt we failed to take 4/5 clear chances in first half which would have significantly changed the result of the game.

Credit to Belper, they dug in and were very impressive on the counter attack and gave themselves a cushion to defend by half time. They survived a bright start from us in 2nd half but ultimately another defensive mistake, which our performance was littered with, killed off any hopes of an outside chance of any comeback.

Overall a very disappointing performance given the effort that was on show last Saturday, and something that we must put right heading into the Melton game.

Attendance ~ 126.
Referee ~ Nick Elliott.
Assistants ~ Paul Dixon and Martin Mountain.

Belper Utd ~ Charlie Wood, Ben Ollett (Harley Kozluk 63') Martin Smyth, Lee Cranstone, Marc Strzyzewski, Ryan Baker (Aboo Baker-Younis 75') Emilio de abreu (Ross Haig 50'), Jack Tyson (Kieran O'Connell 46') Rich Hanslow, Jake Dodds, Dominic Allen.
Substitute not used ~ Josh Gregory.
Cautions ~ Allen (55'foul) Ollett (62' foul) Dodds (78' foul)

Eastwood CFC~ Warren Squires, Kyle Wrenn, Oliver McCourt (Louis Anthony 45') Jahren Barrow, Surafel Tefera (Ayleal Dill 45') Jacob Sturgess (C) (McKenna Parton 47') Sam Meakin, Alex Steadman, Sean Devlin, Jared Homes, Isaac Morledge (Jamie Light 84')
Substitute not used ~ Brontae Wint.
Caution ~ Devlin (58' foul)
Dismissal ~ Barrow (83' serious foul play)

FA FULL TIME STATS HERE ~