The Sharp End of the Season

Mondays 2-0 win at Sheffield means that promotion os now well and truly in Belpers own hands. Three games to go and three wins means we will definitely finish in a play off place.

The weather and the pitch were rough on Monday but the players stuck at the task and as Sheffield lost their discipline (having two players sent off) Belper took the initiative and scored from the spot (Froggys 32nd goal of the season). This was followed by a great strike from Ash Longstaff 4 minutes later and we had made it 12 wins in 13 games.

Sheffield FC 0 Belper Town 2

Tomorrow we travel to second-bottom Shepshed Dynamo. The Butthole (unfortunate name for a football ground location if ever there was one !) is not  a happy hunting ground for Belper, even when Shepshed are struggling. I recall last season we went there and lost 0-1 to a penalty and Shepshed finished in a relegation spot but were reprieved to struggle again this season.

I also recall going there in a 12 game unbeaten run and losing 3-0. We must be due for a good result - lets hope it's tomorrow.

Following on from that we have the biggest game of the season so far - a visit from Leek. If we beat them the play offs look an almost certainty (assuming we have already beaten Shepshed). Of course there is also the fact that Leek and Sheffield need to keep winning also to take it down to the last game of the season.

Cycling wise I've only managed a couple of rides for the past two weeks thanks to the weather. Having said that todays ride included a severe drenching in the middle of a 20 mile ride - not a pleasant experience but I've had worse !

Currently I'm up to almost 500 miles for the year. With Summer ahead I'd like to think I could manage a target of 2012 miles for the year. If thats to happen I'll have to pile on the miles during the close season as the end of the year will see a reduction. Last year I did 508 in just under half a year so that would be a massive jump but lets go for it !

Ain't no stopping us now !

Following on from the Coalville win we sneaked past a resolute Romulus side at home having to come from a goal down to make it 11 wins and a draw in the past 12 games. We even won the Manager of the Month award for March which is usually a poisoned chalice. As things stand we are 3 points behind Leek having played 38 games each. Four games to go and all to play for. 

Today we're off to Sheffield FC - or Sheffield Club, or The First Club in the World or The OLDEST Club in the world (whatever they are calling themselves this week !) We love that fact that they are in Dronfield, which is officially in North Derbyshire but they insist they are from South Yorkshire. Either way it's a massive game which could send us on to Shepshed next Saturday in high spirits or could potentially finish off our season (depending on Leeks result at home to New Mills (our last day opponents) today).

You will recall that I was cycling in 20+ degrees a couple of week back, then on Wednesday last week we got up to this :

Not brilliant as it was taken at 6:30 as we were heading off to work but you get the idea. What you can't see is that it was blowing a blizzard and we could only just get off the drive. Is this what global warming is all about ?

I'll update what happens in the next day or so.

And on we go

Another game, another win. Thats now 10 wins and a draw in the last 11 games for Belper. We haven't been beaten since yesterdays opponents Coalville won 2-0 at Belper back in January. We sit just 1 place below the play offs after yesterdays win at Coalville (combined with Stamfords defeat against Loughborough). 

A scrappy first half on a bone hard pitch in a biting wind saw Belper take the lead through a Longstaff snapshot that caught out the Coalville keeper and the Coalville snapper by the looks of things

Coalville equalised just after the break but Belper came back to score two more though Froggy (number 31 for the season)

and a Mark Ward free kick which caught the keeper out at his near post.

Five more games to go and the play off are still the topic of conversation - anyone want to buy a Jethro Tull ticket ?

At half time we were having a cup of tea in the boardroom and sheltering from the bitter wind (10+ degrees cooler than Thursday without the wind chill factor). I looked through the window and saw that the Coalville snapper had left his camera equipment by the goal and obviously one of the Ravens substitutes fancied a bit of a go. From what I saw he needs a bit of advice on his technique !!

Next up it's third bottom Romulus at home on Saturday - surely the run can't come to an end there can it ???

Saturday 31st March 2012

Just 6 matches of the season to go (unless we make the play offs in which case we could have 7 or 8. I have been looking at the chance of a play off place and it's going to be tough. Although we are only 5 points behind 5th placed Leek their run in looks a easier than ours. Our two big games are Sheffield & Leek, they only have us really. Sheffield have us and Carlton as their difficult games. Other contenders are Stamford who only have Grantham but are not particularly on form at present - especially after being battered 6-0 by the Sheffield Club in midweek.

The table at 5pm tonight will tell us a lot more. I think we need to be looking at 72 points for a play off place - which means gaining 14 points from the remaining 6 games. Thats 4 wins and two draws or 5 wins and a defeat - tough ask but it can be done. I don't think we can afford any slip ups at Coalville today - a side that beat us 2-0 at Belper in January but have only won 1 of their last 6 games.

Decided that I only needed to do a few miles yesterday due to the previous efforts this week so I stopped at 11.5 making a weekly total of 61.5 - hardly Olympic training numbers but I'll settle for that.

Time to get sorted for the trip to Coalville - updates later on how we got on.

Remember me ?

It's been a while since we got back from Brighton and lots has happened on the football front. Belper have extended their unbeaten run to 10 games - 9 wins and a draw. They sit just outside the play off places and hope is high that we can nick that last place. It's still a tough ask but it can be done on current form. The two biggest games remaining are the trip to Sheffield FC on Easter Monday and the home game with Leek Town who are the two sitting in places that we can catch.

Results since my last post:

Belper 3 Kidsgrove Ath 1

Stamford 1 Belper 1

Belper 3 Hucknall Town 0

Belper 1 Lincoln Utd 0

New Mills 1 Belper 4

Photos from the first four games are on my Flickr site here: Belper Town Gallery

Ken took on the photo duties at New Mills and produced tho cracking set showing all the goals and near misses Kens Snaps

Froggy reached 30 goals for the second season running with his second strike at New Mills - and generally the past two seasons haven't been particularly good - I can't imagine how many he's have scored in a top side.

Cycling wise I've been out quite a bit on the Pinarello. I changed the cadence sensor over from the Boardman. Recent rides include a 10, 26 & 20 miles last week with this weeks efforts so far 10 on Monday and a 40 miler today in 2h 42m 41s. A glorious day with the temp getting up to around the 20+ mark - just didn't want to come back so I kept going until my knee said 'enough now' What that 40 miles did do was take me past 1,000 miles since returning to the saddle

I tried the clip less pedals but didn't get on with them at all - they just don't release the pedals easily - and even though I only tried them in the garage I started having knee pain due to the twisting action of getting your foot out. Afraid they will have to go on EBay to recoup some of the money.

Might get a few more miles in tomorrow but it won't be too many as we're out for a meal at 7pm with Mike and Jenny next door.

Then on Saturday it's another new ground for me as we go to Coalville for the first time. Hucknall was my 62nd non-league ground. New Mills would have been a new ground but for the 2nd time circumstances meant I missed that trip. 

Brighton Photos

I have finally got around to sort through the photographs I took on our trip to Brighton last week (at this time we were just about arriving at the Grand Hotel).

Here are a few of my favourites

The Grand Hotel

Clothes Shop with hundreds of old sewing machines

Another sunset photo

The Royal Pavillion

A Beach Hut for sale at £12,000 !!

Peeling paint on a Beach Hut

What did Mrs Snapper see ?

Graffiti at the Brighton Marina

The whole set can be seen here: Brighton Photos

A Long Way to Stamford

As I said earlier, before the match I would settle for a point from Stamford this afternoon. Thats exactly what happened this afternoon. A decent game with chances at both ends, a penalty save, a sending off and many bookings.

Jon Froggatt scored his 25th of the season

Froggy slots in number 25 for the season

The match photos are here:

Stamford v Belper photos