Paget Rangers vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley grip loosened – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Victory eluded Gresley Rovers on a hard, windswept Paget Rangers ground last night – and with it the Bank’s League title so coveted by the Moatmen slipped a little further from their grasp.
Rovers still lead the chase for a place in the Beazer Homes League. Indeed, they still rank among the favourites. But manager Frank Northwood admitted afterwards: “A draw has made things a bit harder for us now.”
Hot rivals Rushall and Blakenall can still overtake Gresley in the last sprint for the finishing line. But with those two sides still to meet and Blakenall to visit the Moat Ground, Gresley’s fate, albeit a little more uncertainly, still lies in their own hands.
That fact could not console Northwood last night, however. “No-one is more disappointed with me,” he confessed. “I felt we gave the game away – we could have had it won in the first half. It was never going to be easy but on chances we should have had it wrapped up.”
Rovers, with reserve keeper Simon Harrison a slightly uneasy figure on a rare first-team outing, coped well with the mobile home side in the first half and led after Graham Jones smashed home a spectacular opener in injury time.
But after the break, in Northwood’s words, “we lost the middle of the park.” Paget’s fluid forward movement had Rovers back peddling dangerously and after John Taylor whipped in a 65th-minute equaliser the game could have gone either way.
Conditions were never conducive to the sort of football with which both sides have made their mark on the title race this season and a shapeless opening quarter was to be expected. At least Harrison was able to boost his confidence with a vital save, blocking the ball with his legs after the speedy Robert Benjamin had worked his way into a shooting position after a one-two with Taylor.
Gresley, with some fluid midfield play of their own, worked a couple of half chances for Jones but Benjamin, put through by the impressive Stephen Whipps, went closest in the early stages with a wicked shot that flew inches over the bar.
New boy Andy Maddocks was presented with a shooting chance after Martin Dick’s controlled run had opened a way through the middle but shot disappointingly straight at keeper Greg Johnson. Then Neil Lovell’s persistence set Paul Acklam free but the striker was ruled to have handled before slipping the ball under the keeper and into the net.
Still it was Gresley making the opening to no avail until deep into first half injury time. Acklam picked up Dean Page’s huge free kick on the right and slipped the ball inside for Jones to lash across the face of Johnson’s goal and in at the far post.
Gresley were looking good for that vital victory as Paget began the second half apparently unaware of where a goal could come from, substitutes Wayne Scally and Stephen Jones both putting optimistic efforts off target while Acklam and Maddocks were similarly unproductive at the other end.
On 65 minutes, though, with Paget’s forward fluency at last coming to bear, came the equaliser. Benjamin’s shot was blocked by a defender’s shins but Johnson pounced on the rebound to clip the ball past Harrison and in at the foot of the post.
Gresley introduced Kieron Smith and Steve Astley in an attempt to beef up their scoring potential and the ploy almost paid off as Gresley thrice came close to snatching a late winner.
Martin Haskins made disappointing contact with Page’s free kick from deep on the right, heading wide of an exposed goal, then Jones was similarly unfortunate from a Smith cross. Andy Moore went closest of all after Johnson failed to hold another Page free kick but David Okormi blocked his shot on the line.
Paget Rangers (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Scorers: Taylor 65 (Paget Rangers); G Jones 47 (Gresley Rovers).
Paget Rangers: Johnson, Okormi, Edmonds (Scally 24), Paul, Link, Harris, Taylor, Whipps (S Jones 56), Sandiford, Christopher, Benjamin,.
Gresley Rovers: Harrison, Perry, Dick, Denby, Haskins, Page, Moore, Maddocks (Smith 73), Acklam, G Jones, Lovell (Astley 75).
Gresley man-of-the-match: Martin Haskins.
Referee: J Brandwood (Lichfield).
Attendance: 193
