Gresley Rovers vs Hinckley Athletic
Whistle-stop Rovers – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
An ill wind blew at the Moat Ground on Saturday – mostly through referee John Boulton’s whistle.
Boulton was the man in the middle of controversy, contempt and catastrophe as he booked four – three from the visiting side – and sent off two Athletic villains.
Hinckley clearly arrived at Gresley aiming for at least a draw from their Banks’s League Cup semi-final, first leg. But at the end of the day their cynical approach earned its just desserts as goals from Martin Dick and Andy Moore earned what should prove to be an unassailable advantage for the March 18 return.
Hinckley’s spoiling tactics worked well enough up to the interval. Gresley, a strong wind at their backs, stuttered only occasionally into the sort of life that has put them top of the Bank’s League.
Top scorer Paul Acklam, returning after an ankle injury, saw an early shot blocked and a late header fly wide but Gresley had little else in the way of goal attempts to look back on over their half time cuppas. Indeed Hinckley, swift and positive on the occasional break, had managed to test the reflexes of home keeper Bob Aston more than once.
After the interval, though, there were signs that Gresley were about to click into gear. Acklam narrowly failed to connect in front of goal after Graham Jones had bravely knocked down Dean Page’s free kick and Bobby Evans netted only to be ruled narrowly offside.
Ian Wells, close to his entertaining best in midfield – ironically only two days before he begins a 56-day suspension – prompted Rovers’ best raids, then came to the rescue at the other end with successive goalline clearances from Dave Allcock and Gil Scoular.
But the breakthrough, when it came, came for Gresley – in highly controversial circumstances. There seemed little danger as Paul Lambert homed in on Jones’ left wing cross. But the ball appeared to make contact with an arm and, despite fierce protestations from a gaggle of Hinckley players, Martin Dick was given the opportunity to fire a spot kick high into Paul Bliss’s net.
Hinckley’s reaction was fast and fierce – too fierce. Scoular launched a horrendous challenge on Dick on the edge of the Rovers box and was summarily dismissed by Mr Boulton.
Explained Dick afterwards: “He must have been a bit over-excited after our goal. He just launched himself at me with his hands and feet up.”
There was more agony to come for the Leicestershire side. John Bottomley’s right wing cross was expertly controlled by Acklam whose pinpoint pass released Andy Moore to fire a precise, low shot into Bliss’s bottom corner. 2-0.
Wells became the unluckiest to be booked when his name was noted for a seemingly legitimate challenge. But a minute later it was Hinckley’s Lambert who was wearing that ill-treated look. Booked earlier for dissent, he gave the referee no alternative but to send him on that lonely walk after blatantly tripping Wells. Now both the dismissed Hinckley players could miss the return.
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Hinckley Athletic (0) 0
Scorers: Dick (pen) 65, Moore 77.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, Dick, Denby, Haskins, Page, Moore, Evans (Smith 59), Acklam, Wells, Jones. Sub not used: Perry.
Hinckley Athletic: Bliss, Markham, Walsh, Allen, Lambert, Allcock, Scoular, Simpson, Hill, Scott, Carr. Subs not used: Clark, Bennett.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Dean Page.
Referee: J Boulton (Sparkhill).
Attendance: 317
