SHERWOOD SETTING THE PACE

SHERWOOD COLLIERY 6 BELPER UNITED 0

UCL PREMIER NORTH AT DEBDALE PARK

11 NOVEMBER 2023 --- 3PM

CRAIG WESTCARR OPENS THE SCORING FOR SHERWOOD COLLIERY V BELPER UNITED

League leaders Sherwood Colliery not only set the UCL pace in this game but bossed it with half a dozen goals split between both halves without reply from visitors Belper United.  The visitors last week had earned a creditable victory that the blog witnessed but this week their new and young side struggled to match the experienced and powerful Sherwood side.

REFEREE MAX ATHERTON IN FULL FLOW

After another wet week some games were falling to inspections and the final decision to make a relatively quick re visit to Debdale Lane was made with all the fun of walks at both end of the Pronto bus service to undertake with the added joy of darkness on the return journey since the clocks had changed since the last visit.

The fifty minute walk from base saw time on arrival in the hamlet of Holmewood to meander to the far end to pick up the bus service, I say hamlet its probably more down at heel former pit village to be accurate.  It now has no drinking establishment since the closure in recent weeks of its miners welfare leaving this a 'dry' village.

Pronto departure at just shy of The Rufford Arms was as ever a grateful event with the wide selection of characters on public transport that I would rather be on a different mode of transport to.

Walking down Debdale Lane for around fifteen minutes brings the sports ground into site and with entrance fee paid a circuit was completed.  The problem photography wise is always that this ground is surrounded by large trees on two sides and with the sun low and soon disappearing behind them many areas were part shade part light hence the lack of a good cross section of pictures.  

REFEREE ATHERTON POINTS THE WAY

Belper United have experienced a good start to the season and after a change all round in personnel they still sit in a play off position.  Having seen them last week I did fear it could be a difficult game against this strong Sherwood side and so it proved.

Just seven minutes in and last weeks Belper hero Alfie Roberts, he of scorer of 75 yard strike, saw a sharp effort bounce back off his chest and the last player you want with the ball at his feet then is Craig Westcarr who made no mistake.  The advantage was doubled on twenty five minutes when Jamie York swung in a free kick off the left for Jobe Shaw to head home.  

This game was calmer than the game versus Boston Town so much so that manager Wayne Savage seemed to be able to stand back calmly and enjoy proceedings and with only one questioning of referee Max Atherton that the Derbyshire official answered it was an afternoon that even saw him laughing with the officials as they came back to the dressing rooms at half time.

Talking of half time as we moved into the first minute of stoppage time Sherwood made it three Westcarr set up York who fed the ball across goal for Marley Grant to slot home.  

SHERWOD GO CLOSE

The half time interval had seen the light disappear with floodlights now firmly in place plus the heating seemed to have got turned off as the wintery air made probably its first appearance at a match this season.

BELPER UTD HEAD INJURY AS REFEREE ATHERTON CALLS ON THE PHYSIO

The opening fifteen minutes of the second half had threatened to become a stroll although that may have had something to do with the three half time changes the visitors made but the impressive Ewan Robson got hold off this game by the scruff of the neck driving himself and Sherwood forward in determined fashion.  It was his efforts that led to the fourth he raced forward allowing William Norcross a shot that was turned away for the following up Grant to fire home for his second just past the hour mark.  Again Robson would be the provider with a cross off the right for Jake Wright to head home after 73 minutes.

Just two minutes later the half a dozen was reached when Westcarr was put through and his quality shone as the keeper came out he slotted home with ease for his second of the game.

The closing stages saw the excitement of the pace of substitute Jacob Pearce who was proving a handful and on more than one occasion worked his way into shooting positions.

WILL NORCROSS ON HIS WAY OFF AT HALF TIME

Referee Atherton's signal to end the match saw Sherwood still five points clear at the top of The UCL Premier North table and there will be many tougher challenges ahead for this excellent side who looked fully kitted out this season to gain that ultimate prize of promotion.  For Belper its a learning curve for the new set up and this was a hard lesson they will meet strong sides but not as strong as Sherwood every week so hopefully they will remain the right side of the play off line.

HALF TIME BOVRIL AWAITS

The walk to Chesterfield Road North brought the temptation of the chippy but with just fifteen minutes, or so I thought, for the return Pronto it was into the Nisa Local again.  With no Coop in the vicinity it was a revisit to this Nisa and a lot of them are very average, although not quite as average as the old McColls, this one though is a little star with well stocked shelves plenty of pies and snacks with a friendly owner.  Good grief I'm now waxing not to lyrically about convenience stores.  

On this increasingly cold evening I made the mistake of not checking the bus tracker and before walking a few stops along Chesterfield I referred to it to find the bus was 25 minutes late, could have done the chippy after all.  The walk would take me through Pleasley Hill and into Pleasley village were after a ten minute wait it was back on the bus to the west edge of Holmewood before a walk of around forty five minutes saw an arrival back at base for a warm.

SHERWOOD MANAGER WAYNE SAVAGE IN RELAXED MOOD WITH THE OFFICIALS