Gresley Rovers vs Stourport Swifts
Smith the hero in goal glut – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers bade a tentative farewell to the Banks’s League in the manner by which they will best be remembered in the West Midlands – by bagging a hatful of goals.
It looks like Beazer Homes Midland soccer next season for the Moatmen, whose goal orgies this season have taken them to the century mark and guaranteed at least second spot in the championship.
Saturday’s display was an indication of just why the South Derbyshire club is desperate for a higher standard of football.
If there is any fairness in the procedure for deciding the ups and downs of the two leagues, then Gresley will surely achieve their long ambition come August. For although they may be pipped to the title by Blakenall this week, their consistency over the last five seasons under Frank Northwood should alone provide a first class ticket to new hunting grounds.
And if that comes to be, what of Northwood’s class of ’89? For sure, there are players in the current squad who fully merit a higher class of soccer.
Northwood and his backroom boys will ponder this summer which pieces of the eternal jigsaw to replace.
They won’t need many. In Bob Aston Gresley have a keeper as good as any in the league – a fact recognised by his selection for the Banks’s representative X1 earlier in the term. Martin Dick, John Bottomley and skipper Dean Page – likely to miss the rest of this campaign with a knee strain – could probably play at an even higher level than the Midland Division.
It is up to Northwood and company to make sure they are not tempted to give it a try elsewhere.
Another jewel is Richard Denby, a midfielder whose control and vision have been major factors in Rovers’ rise. Up front, Kieron Smith showed quality finishing on Saturday and Paul Acklam and Tracey Norton, once restored to full fitness, can ply their trade with confidence against the Tamworths and the Halesowen Towns.
Astonishingly, it took this collection of wizards 45 minutes to crack the Stourport nut on Saturday, Graham Jones sticking out a forehead to divert Denby’s shot into the back of the net from 10 yards.
After that, it was always going to be one-way against the upstarts who had dared to hold Gresley to a draw just a week before.
On that occasion, Rovers couldn’t find the net until it was almost too late. On Saturday, the rub of the green went the other way.
Smith picked his spot perfectly from 18 yards to score the first of his four on the hour, Denby’s skill having opened the way, then the midfielder added the third himself, a magical volley from 22 yards – the pick of the bunch.
Acklam’s skilful turn and cross let Smith in for number four, his towering header creeping under the bar. On another day it would have ended up in a back garden. Then the partnership was reversed, Smith crossing and Acklam joyfully sweeping home number five – his 30th goal of the season.
Neil Lovell and Smith made the sixth, a thumping shot from Norton, then Acklam crossed for that man Smith to complete his hat trick with a close-range shot. Gresley needed just one more goal to complete their 100 for the season, and fittingly, it was Smith who provided it, lofting the ball over the keeper after picking up Aston’s huge kick. Amazingly, there could have been even more but for some errant finishing.
One person who didn’t finish was the unfortunate referee, off after 35 minutes with a pulled muscle, Rovers committee man Reg Shorthouse coming to the rescue as stand-in linesman. Watching the Stourport front line for the second half, he hardly had anything to do anyway.
Gresley Rovers (1) 8
Stourport Swifts (0) 0
Scorers: Jones 45, Smith 60, 69, 83, 89, Denby 64, Acklam 81, Norton 82.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, Dick, Denby, Haskins (A Moore 78), Astley, Guest, Norton, Smith, G Jones (Acklam 45), Lovell.
Stourport Swifts: Preece, P Jones, Brooks, Langford, Davies, Rice, Lowell, Lee, Maffey, R Moore, Haighway. Subs not used: Fulloway, Callis.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Kieron Smith.
Referee: S D Ross (Polesworth) (replaced by P Maudling after 35 minutes).
Attendance: 247
