REPORT: Anstey Nomads 2-3 Quorn
By Kurt Barnes
Quorn won a thriller 3-2 against local rivals Anstey Nomads to extend their unbeaten run to 24 games and ensure 12 straight victories away from home.
The Reds had to battle in poor, muddy conditions on the pitch and, ultimately, the hosts started in the ascendancy. In the eighth minute, Anstey won a free kick and forced a very good save from Tom Allsopp. Quorn were very much fighting to be in the match and saw their first opportunity come on the 19th minute. Cain Noble broke into space but unfortunately for him his shot went just wide of the post.
Quorn didn’t have to wait much longer to score the first goal of the game which came just a minute later. Noble again was in space, played through by Billy Kee, this time his shot beat the Nomads keeper Conrad Logan to make it 1-0 to the Reds. Anstey responded with a solid spell of pressure before Zach McKenzie flew down the right-hand side with a superb burst of pace. The resulting cross found Kee, but his header was straight at Logan. Allsopp, who was having a very good half, was called into action again just a few minutes later when he made an incredible save from close range.
Anstey flew out of the traps in the second half and piled the pressure on but it would be Quorn that would find the back of the net in the 59th minute. It was a fantastic move forward which resulted in Luca Alonzi scoring his third goal for the club from close range to double the advantage.
The Methodists had to dig deep defensively in an effort to stem the waves of attacks, but the hosts did find a way back into the game, winning a corner in the 70th minute. A superbly taken set-piece was met by the head of Jordan Annable, with the Nomads Captain reducing the deficit. The Reds were still under relentless pressure from Nomads who were searching for an equaliser, eventually getting the luck of a deflected effort.
Kyle Tomlin’s effort from the edge of the box looked like a comfortable gather for Allsopp, but with his momentum moving one way, the ball hit a Quorn defender and rolled in to the other side of the goal in the 87th minute. It would have been a cruel outcome for a valiant effort from the league leaders who were without three of their top scorers as well as their captain, but the second goal from the hosts seemed to fire up the Reds, who began to take the game to Anstey again. Quorn came forward on the counter, winning a free kick out on the left as the five minutes of stoppage time ticked into a sixth. The resulting free kick was whipped in by Zak Goodson, finding its way to Silvio Bello at the back post who met it with a diving header to make it 3-2 to the Reds.
A fantastic last-minute winner in a breathtaking local derby that means that Quorn end the year with a nineteen point lead over their title rivals. The Reds are now 29 points clear of rivals Anstey who are just outside the playoff places. Now that the Christmas period is over Quorn can look forward to a run of games in January. This starts with a home game against Long Eaton United on the 4th of January, which will no doubt be another stiff test.