Take nothing away from Keyworth as they played the superior football and were worthy winners but had the Warriors taken some of the chances they created in the first half it may have been a different story. Four goals in each half for Keyworth were sandwiched by a Kane Pickard strike as the locals tired quickly on the big pitch.

The Warriors shouldn’t be too downhearted by this result though as they ended the season with their first defeat in four games…..who would have thought that at the start of the season…!

The locals started with a much changed line up from their last game and in came George Seddon and Joshua Clayton and both players had good games. Indeed on a heavy pitch it was the Warriors who started the brighter and top scorer Kane Pickard had three early chances that went begging and they were made to pay as Stapleford scored in their first attack. But it wasn’t long before the locals were back on level terms as sub Sam Butler wide out on the right hit an unstoppable curler into the top corner.It was no more than they deserved and after Stapleford hit the bar Pickard chased down a back pass and managed to block it into the path of Ellis Platt who rolled the ball home from 25 yards to give the Warriors a 2-1 half-time lead. What was pleasing with the first half performance was that all sixteen players were used and all played their part.

The Warriors knew that Stapleford would be quick out of the blocks but they held firm with some great defending and commitment but were undone by a good move from the Stapleford team. The game ended with an amazing ten minute spell, firstly a shot by Austin Baker was harshly adjudged to have been handled by a Stapleford defender but upstepped Ellis Platt to fire in the penalty off the crossbar to net his second goal of the game and give the Warriors another lead. The lead lasted just five minutes when Stapleford equalised with a header from a corner but the Warriors wern’t finished as they went straight up the other end and after Kane Pickard looked to round the keeper his touch looked too heavy and the ball looked to be rolling behind for a goal kick but from nowhere Sam Butler showed great determination to get to the ball and somehow fire the ball home. The locals supporters were urging the referee to blow his whistle but Stapleford forced another corner and as the Warriors failed to clear the ball properly upstepped a Stapleford player to rifle the ball home from the edge of the box.

A draw was a fair result against a side who beat us 9-3 earlier in the season and again shows just how much progress the team has made, neither side deserved to lose the game and both sides deserve credit for the entertainment that they served up.

The Warriors did do it the hard way though as Wollaton who came close to snatching a point two weeks ago when the teams last met took a fifth minute lead as some slack marking let in a Wollaton player who struck the ball over keeper Dylan Key. This came after Kane Pickard almost opened the scoring straight from the kick off, Sam Butlers through ball finding Pickard but his lob over the keeper drifted agonisingly wide of the far post.

The Warriors were still creating chances despite falling behind and good work from Joe Perry and John-Joe Martin created further chances but the visitors just couldnt convert one of them. Wollaton then had a golden chance to go two goals up but Key made a great stop to his left to deny the Wollaton striker.

Manager Julian Toop and coach Andy Stephenson then told their players to stay calm and not to panic at half-time and within two minutes they were level, again it was top scorer Pickard who latched onto Dylan Keys long goal kick and he lobbed the ball over the keeper. The Warriors then started to relax and won a corner after good work by Sam Butler and John-Joe Martins corner was flicked on by Pickard and as the ball looked to have crossed the line the referee awarded a goal much to the anger of the Wollaton linesman.

Credit to Wollaton as they tried to push for an equaliser but great defending from Darren Pykett, Kyle Cork, Mark Ramsden and skipper Lewis Toop resulted in only a couple of goalmouth scrambles for the home side as the Warriors looked the most likely to score again, Martin hitting the post and the crossbar and the Wollaton keeper saving well from Pickard again and  Butler.

The Warriors were missing players as holidays depleted their squad but everybody played their part as the locals raced into a three goal lead, Kane Pickard latched onto a Dylan Key goal kick and bravely got to the ball first lobbing the keeper and getting a boot in his thigh for his troubles. Ellis Platt then had a great shot brilliantly saved by the keeper as the locals pegged their visitors back and George Seddon nearly got his first ever goal for the Warriors but his effort rose above the crossbar. Pickard and Austin Baker both had chances to double the lead but it was the improving Joe Perry who put the locals two up from ten yards after an Ellis Platt corner fell to him.

The second half began as the first half ended with the locals in control, Kimball Humphries fired over and Joe Perry almost added his second and the Warriors third but his 18 yard shot came crashing back off the bar. Pickard then saw the Wollaton keeper make another terriffic save tipping his right foot shot away for a corner. The ever impressive Pickard wasn’t to be denied though and with fifteen minutes of the half gone he slid a lovely shot under the keeper to give the locals a three nil lead.

The Warriors were in unchartered territory being three goals up and after another great run down the left by Austin Baker his cross beat the keeper and somehow missed the unmarked Pickard two yards out and another chance went begging.

Wollaton to their credit never gave up and started to cause a few problems for the home side as their dangerous number three saw two long range efforts saved by Key but they got a lifeline back into the game as Wollaton scrambled home a goal with ten minutes to play. The locals began to get nervous and even more so five minutes from time after the locals defence who had been superb all afternoon failed to clear a corner and Wollaton added a second.

It really was squeeky bum time now as Wollaton forced two corners in the last minute of the game but they were dealt with and the home side picked up their second victory of the season.

On a hard surface with long grass it was the locals who had a spring in their step as Joe Perry continued his scoring form against Sandiacre by hitting a sweet twenty yarder into the top corner. Austin Baker then chose to shoot instead of passing with players unmarked in the box and from the resulting goal kick Sandiacre levelled with a close range finish. The home side began to work harder and were awarded two penalties, one for handball and one for a foul which were both despatched well giving impressive keeper Dylan Key no chance. A fourth was added just before halftime as the Warriors midfield went missing.

Changes were made at halftime as the Warrriors responded well and Kane Pickard lobbed the keeper to reduce the arrears to two goals and the same player almost grabbed a second but his effort was saved at the second attempt by the keeper. Sandiacre then added a fith to put the game to bed with a Peter Crouch style strike from the edge of the box. All in all a good second half performance which will give them some confidence ahead of next weekends crunch game against Wollaton.