Clipstone remain pointless after two games in United Counties League Division One, following up a 3-1 defeat away to Bourne Town with a narrow 1-0 home defeat against Barrow Town, where they finished with 10 men, reports Jim McIntosh.

The difference between the two sides proved to be Cezar Trandafirescu’s strike 35 seconds after the break.

After the game manager Dave Hoole said “We played some really good football in patches and created two very good chances. You would put your mortgage on Eden (Homer) to score and their keeper has pulled off a worldy save from Jordan Ball. They were fine margins. I don’t think that the officials got two major decisions right.

“It was a better performance than last week. I can’t fault the work ethic of the lads. They say you make your own luck in football, which you do, and we need a bit just now. And we to strengthen in certain areas.

“I’m looking forward to the Blidworth game on Tuesday. When you lose, you always want the next game to come as quick as it can. We’ll go out there on Tuesday night and apply ourselves as we know we can. We’ll also see if we can draft one or two players in.”

The home side made a slow start to the game and were woken up in the 15^th minute when a 25-yard strike by Barrow’s Jordan Holmes from the edge of the box beat Charlie Dando but came back off the woodwork. Jordan Hegarty then received a yellow card for a foul on Andrei Raceala four minutes later.

The Cobras were then forced to make a change in the 29^th minute as midfielder Roberts came off with a leg injury and was replaced by Billy Whitehead. The change actually injected more energy and the home side gained the upper hand.

Photo by Owen Hardwick

As half-time approached, Whitehead won a free kick near the penalty area and Tom Wood’s curling free kick was tipped over the bar at full stretch by Barrow keeper Austin Wood. Whitehead then had a chance himself when he dispossessed Harris Saunders but his resulting shot went over the bar.

Clipstone fell behind in the 46^th minute when a long ball through the middle wasn’t dealt with and Trandafirescu took advantage to beat Dando from 12 yards out. The visitors could have scored again as Hagerty cleared off the line with Dando beaten and Joe French headed over from close range just after the hour mark.

The Cobras worked hard to get back into the game and started to exert concerted pressure on the Barrow defence. During one of these attacks, Tom Wood was hauled down by a defender in the area but the referee waived away the loud penalty appeals from the home side.

In a frantic final few minutes a Wood corner found its way to skipper Eden Homer in space, but he fired over from five yards with the goal at his mercy. Jordan Hegarty was then harshly shown a second yellow card, despite clearly winning the ball in the challenge, and was sent off. And in the 90^th minute Wood in the Barrow goal pulled off a superb save to get down low and keep out a Jordan Ball shot from the edge of the area.

Clipstone’s next game is at home to local rivals Blidworth on Tuesday 9^th August, 7:45pm. They then travel to St Andrews on Saturday 13^th August, 3pm.

Meanwhile the new formed Clipstone Reserves team made the short journey to Blidworth Welfare Reserves in Central Midlands Division 1 East.  Goals from Tsolakis and Dyson saw the home side take the honours in a 2-0 victory.