With just two weeks to go to the start of their first season in the Unibond League, Glapwell find themselves with something of a crisis after losing three of their experienced central defenders over the past seven days, albeit it two of those thankfully only temporarily through injury.

 

Last Saturday Craig Charlesworth sustained a broken nose after turning out for Rainworth Miners Welfare in their friendly against Ollerton Town . That was followed in midweek with a major blow when club skipper Craig Gaunt announced he was quitting the game because of work commitments. Then today Iain Streather suffered the same fate as Charlesworth after an accidental clash left him bloodied and battered 25 minutes into this warm-up game at Long Eaton. And all of that adds up to one real headache for manager Les McJannet with the big kick-off now so close.

 

Yet it all started so well for Glapwell at Grange Park , the visitors giving a debut to 20-year-old keeper Laurence Matthewson, who signed in midweek from Conference North side Alfreton Town for whom he made 14 starts last season and one from the bench.

 

Glapwell looked comfortable early on against their former NCEL Premier Division rivals and they took the lead after 21 minutes when a Michael Fox pass picked out Simon Wright who raced unchallenged through the Blues' midfield before lashing the ball past keeper Ross Whalin from 25 yards.

 

But then came the nasty injury to Streather when he, team-mate Steve Roebuck and Long Eaton striker Channon North all challenged for the same high ball on the edge of Glapwell's penalty area, and the enforced changes brought about by that seemed to unhinge the visitors at the back.

 

Quickly realising this, the Blues pressed on and they were finally rewarded for their efforts after 40 minutes when the ball found its way into the back of the net, taking one bounce inside a crowded penalty area before crossing the line at the near post from North's header eight yards out at the far post off a corner from the left.

 

However, Glapwell weren't pegged back for very long and hard-working striker Jonathan Pickess restored their advantage almost straight from the kick-off, calmly stroking the ball past the approaching Whalin after being put clear by Wright with the Blues' probably still celebrating their own score just seconds earlier.

 

The half-time interval did Glapwell no favours though and they emerged looking somewhat lethargic, enabling Long Eaton to get themselves back into the game for a second time when Paul Gamble converted from the penalty spot after Roebuck was adjudged to have brought down Kevin Mabon just seven minutes after the re-start.

 

And the Blues undoubtedly had the better of the game after that, but they failed to find the target again despite carving Glapwell's weakened defence open on quite a few occasions.

 

Nevertheless, the visitors were not out of it by any means and Fox might have settled it in Glapwell's favour after bursting through the home defence on 82 minutes, but he was denied by Whalin after the ball got away from him 16 yards out.

 

And bang on the final whistle Roebuck was denied what would have been a rare goal for him when his shot on target from just inside the box at the far post was blocked after he was neatly set up by Matt Varley off substitute Colin Cockerill's corner from the right.

 

Glapwell return to Hall Corner next Saturday for what will be their final warm-up game before the season proper starts a week later, and it's a change to the game previously scheduled. Instead of British Gas Southern Division One Midlands opposition, Atherstone Town , Glapwell will now entertain local Unibond Premier Division side Worksop Town , and that one kicks-off at 3 o'clock .

 

Long Eaton United: Whalin, Murdock, McGinty, Allsop, Wylie, Parker, Newton , Steadman, North, Mabon, Gamble. Subs: Holmes, Palero, Wilkinson, Mushambi, Watts .

 

Glapwell: Matthewson (West 74), Roebuck, Wright, Varley, Streather (Smith 25), Davies (Hollingworth 74), Robinson (Burdett 74), Rimington (A Grayson 79), N Grayson , Pickess (Cockerill 65), Fox.

Glapwell Man of the Match: Simon Wright