Chasetown FC stretched their unbeaten run in the league to seven games and almost two months with their sixth win in that spell.
The Scholars began with the wind at their backs and the icy, driving rain into the faces of the home side.
An early Simon Brown free kick caused Loughborough Dynamo some troubles and it was the same route that saw Chasetown take the lead in the eighth minute. Brown floated the ball in from the right and Richard Teesdale got a good connection on the ball to divert his header beyond Kahil Mann-Kler in the home goal.
The hosts then took some control of the game and the pacy Nathan Watson down the right was whipping some dangerous crosses into the Chasetown final third with the Scholars defending resolutely.
Ryan Price made a strong save from Watson and it was the same player again who forced the visiting stopper into a save low to his right, which he pushed behind for a corner. But from the resultant kick, Dynamo skipper Jake Betts rose well and planted a header home to level the scores.
As the second half began, Chasetown had to see off some early home pressure and Dynamo’s Jarrod Westcarr would consider himself unlucky not to have given his side the lead when his shot squirmed under the grasp of Price but rolled wide for a corner kick.
Gradually though, Craig Harris’ men took over the game and deservedly regained the lead, albeit in slightly fortuitous circumstances. Nick Wellecomme closed down Mann-Kler as he attempted to drive clear a back pass but could only hit the number nine who showed tremendous composure to roll the ball into an empty net from distance – his seventh goal in his last eight appearances.
Mann-Kler had to be at his best to keep out a shot from Joe Halsall with his legs, before Wellecomme broke clear from half way and beat the Loughborough keeper with a low shot which ricocheted off the foot of the post.
Two minutes from time, Wellecomme combined with substitute Jono Gould to allow the winger to pick out a pass inside the penalty area when perhaps he could have gone for goal himself.
Then, in stoppage time, Wellecomme went close again with a chance that he tried to lift above Mann-Kler who took the sting out of the shot and Joe Pheasant cleared before the ball could cross the line.
Loughborough Dynamo: Mann-Kler, Ryder (Morris, 77 mins), Gent, Pheasant, Betts, Bowles (Marshall, 61 mins), Smithson (Hughes, 72 mins), Norris, Nurse, Westcarr, Watson. Subs not used: Shaw, Pycock.
Chasetown: Price, Slater, Beckett, Halsall, Robinson, Teesdale, Butler (C Smith, 86 mins), Bragoli, Wellecomme, Brown (Gould, 57 mins), Stephens. Subs not used: Bennett, Luckie, Anslow.
Click below to see more of Dave Birt’s pictures from the game:
