Westfields vs Gresley Rovers
Denby to the rescue again! – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Sheer brilliance decided a game consisting largely of bad temper and frustration at Rotherwas, Hereford last night.
Gresley, needing to win all their remaining games to have a fighting chance of staying ahead of the rest dwindling pack, seemed to have tossed two points away until 85 minutes were on the clock.
Then Richard Denby, scorer of Saturday’s equally vital winner against Hinckley Town, plucked a goal from dreamland to settle the issue and move Rovers closer than they have ever been to the Banks’s title.
Given sight of goal two yards from the edge of the penalty box, Gresley’s stylish midfielder hit a first time thunderbolt that curled and twisted as it flew into the top corner of the net.
That was a tragedy for Westfields’ keeper Andy Powell, who had single-handedly kept his side in the game with some superb work. But it was sheer joy for Rovers and the normally implacable Denby.
Westfields’ Powell had succeeded in keeping everything out, notably a dipping volley from Neil Lovell in the first half and a diving Kieron Smith header in the second.
But, appallingly, the incident of greatest note aside from the goal was an horrific tackle on centre half Martin Haskins by midfielder Paul Mallender after just nine minutes.
Mallender flew in with a knee high challenge, the ball long gone, leaving Haskins a stretcher case and, unforgivably, earning no more than a booking from referee Wilkes.
Thus goaded, Gresley struck deep into Westfields core within a minute of the restart, Graham Jones crossing from the right and Norton controlling superbly before slipping the ball into the net from an acute angle. But just to add insult to injury, the goal was disallowed for an alleged offside that Norton later disputed, claiming: “I thought I had run from behind a defender.”
There was further misdemeanour from Westfields that earned full back Phil Powell a booking for a foul on Jones. The Moatmen, visibly rattled by the Westfields’ reckless tactics, lost their composure and the half ended with Westfields, clearly second best in ability, claiming an even share of the chances.
Nerves were jangling as Gresley began the second half with the job still to be done. Michael Guest got forward to power a header goalwards – but wide, then Martin Dick floated a shot wide from the right of the box after a flowing four-man move.
Even after Denby’s Gascoignesque run past three defenders in the box instead of shooting and the chance bobbled away into nothing.
Guest saw another header – on target this time – touched over by Westfields’ hero, then Smith dived onto Steve Astley’s cross only for the gloved hands to divert the ball away again.
Even when Gresley seemed certain to be awarded a penalty after a defender appeared to quite clearly handle a cross from Acklam the rub of the green would not go their way. The game needed a goal from somewhere – and in the end Denby’s dramatic intervention came just in time to save Gresley.
Westfields (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorer: Denby 85.
Westfields: A Powell, Maude, P Powell, Irvine, Rowley (Sockett 49), Emery, Corner, Edwards, Preece, Mallender, Field. Sub not used: Rosser.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Guest, Denby, Haskins (Bottomley 14), Page, Astley, Norton, Jones (Acklam 60), Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: C Wilkes (Gloucester).
Attendance: 45
