GLAPWELL FC RESULTS - 2001/02 SEASON

GLAPWELL

3-1

DENABY UNITED

Steve Dillon 4, 21
Gary Page 80

Att: 52
H/T: 2-1

TEAM DETAILS

GLAPWELL
1	Neil Etheridge 7.50
2	Martin Rowbottom 8.25
3	Martyn Bicknell 7.75
4	Simon Poxon (c) 7.75
5	John Purdy 7.00
6	John Redfern 7.50
7	Adie Carter 7.00	S81
8	Freddie Morgan 7.50
9	Nathan Booth 8.50	S69
10	Steve Dillon 8.50
11	Danny Scott 7.25	S77
12	Brendan Yates 7.00	S69
14	Gary Page 7.25	S77
15	Malc Brown 7.00	S81

MATCH STATS

GLA				DEN
ATTEMPTS AT GOAL
15				7
ATTEMPTS ON TARGET
7				3
CORNERS WON
8				3
CAUGHT OFFSIDE
1				7
FOULS COMMITTED
10				10
YELLOW CARDS
1				0
RED CARDS
0				0

Referee: Paul Thompson (Chesterfield)
Assistants: Mark Hutton (Chesterfield), David Plummer (Barlborough)

GLAPWELL halted the unwelcome run of three consecutive defeats as they produced a convincing home victory over Denaby United on Saturday.

The trio of matches - league defeats against Brodsworth Welfare and Borrowash Victoria, plus an FA Vase loss against Pegasus Juniors - had seen the Hall Corner side produce displays full of hard work destroyed by poor defensive errors.

And, it was encouraging that for, apart from the gifting of United’s goal to cancel out the hosts’ early opening strike, the home defence, led by captain Simon Poxon, produced a convincing performance.

Manager Graham Gladwin was able to call upon arguably his strongest squad of the season, but surprised the Hall Corner faithful in leaving last season’s top scorer Brendan Yates and influential left-winger Gary Page on the subs bench.

Gladwin explained after the match that this was a conscious decision to maintain continuity in the side with both those players unavailable in coming weeks.

And, it proved a timely victory for Glapwell as they arrested their slide down the table to leap four places in the Premier Division to eighth.

The hosts got off to a perfect start after just four minutes when Nathan Booth produced a powerful run through the centre of the United defence, shrugging off the attentions of Martin Francis before feeding the ball through for Steve Dillon who made no mistake in converting his first goal for the club.

But, three minutes later, United were thrown a lifeline when Neil Etheridge bowled the ball out to John Purdy, the centre-back was pounced upon immediately by Darren Bland who lifted his effort over the stranded keeper into the net.

With Glapwell’s recent tendency to lose matches in which they had taken an early lead, the home fans must have been a little edgy but, from the point of Denaby’s equaliser, the hosts remained the dominant side and never looked like they were going to get less than a victory.

They were ahead once again on 21 when Martin Rowbottom’s header into the United penalty area rebounded off visiting centre-back Lee Morris straight into Dillon’s path for his and Glapwell’s second.

After that, Booth hit the post for the hosts whilst, at the other end, a rare United attack saw Etheridge produce an instinctive save with his legs after Bland had found himself through on goal.

That proved to be Denaby’s last real threat at Glapwell’s goal as the second-half unfurled, but the hosts had to wait until the 80th-minute before they had the breathing space of a two-goal cushion.

Prior to that, Booth had found himself denied at close range by an excellent save from Danny Spooner from a Danny Scott cross, whilst the United keeper also thwarted Adie Carter, tipping the winger’s effort over the bar.

Booth and Carter then failed to hit the target at the far post as both were unmarked from Scott put-ins as the visiting defence fell into disarray.

Gladwin introduced Yates and Page to add a fresh impetus to the game, with the latter of the duo grabbing the third with a breathtaking piece of individual skill.

Having been released down the right from a Rowbottom through-ball, Page ventured into the penalty area on his wrong side before expertly moving on to his left foot, wrongfooting the United defender at the same time, and curling a succulent in-swinger round Spooner into the opposite bottom corner of the net.