Title-chasing Clipstone collapse against Gedling

Clipstone’s position at the top of UCL Division One is in jeopardy as the top five teams are separated by just five points.

Gedling flew into a 2-0 lead when Vipond and Gianfranco Ciaurro scored within the first twenty minutes.

Lewis Weaver did half the deficit with his first Clipstone goal just after the hour-mark to give the hosts some hope.

The hope did not last long, however, as Steven Brett restored the two-goal lead with a header from a corner.

Vipond netted his second in the dying minutes to add to Clipstone’s misery.

Clipstone assistant Josh Parker was disappointed with the “lack of quality” and “bad decision-making” from his side. He said: “We need to be much more confident in our play and precise in what we do.”

Parker was complimentary of “prolific” Gedling but felt on another day it could’ve been a different result if Clipstone made the most of their opportunities.

On a day when the weather claimed five fixtures across the division, Clipstone must be commended on the hard work behind the scenes that meant the game could go ahead.

However, after just seven minutes they may well have been regretting those exhaustive efforts when Vipond poked Gedling in front.

Josh Thornton’s in-swinging corner was not dealt with, and Vipond applied a routine side-footed finish to make it 1-0.

It was a long ball over the top that caught Clipstone out for Gedling’s second.

Ciaurro raced through and never looked in doubt.

The forward did well to hold off his marker and slide a finish under Levi Owen with only 19 minutes played.

Clipstone, who were missing top-scorer Mikey Williams and captain Tim Gregory through suspension, made very little impression in the first half.

Less than ten minutes after the break, the performance had not improved, and so The Cobras turned to their bench.

The introduction of Josh Pickering and Jay Lord seemed to add a renewed energy, and it was Lord who played a part in Clipstone’s first goal.

His low cross was only partially cleared, and it fell to Weaver who struck cleanly into the bottom corner.

There was a sense within the ground that the momentum was beginning to shift until Gedling issued a sucker punch.

Again, it was a set-piece that proved to be Clipstone’s undoing as all hope of a comeback evaporated.

Brett rose highest in the area and Owen was unable to reach his looping header.

Despite Clipstone continuing to push for a consolation goal, it did not arrive, and Gedling issued the final blow in the final minute.

Vipond outsmarted the high line and confidently raced through on goal before sliding home his second of the game.

After suffering back-to-back league defeats for the first time this season, Clipstone heads to ninth-placed Radford on 30th November.

Parker spoke about the fixture saying: “Radford is always a tough place to go, and there is plenty for us to work on in training before then.”