Gresley Rovers vs Westfields
Power show – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers powered to a comfortable win after humble Westfields had stung the title pretenders with a brilliant opener.
Midfielder Paul Mallender left Rovers keeper Bob Aston rooted to the spot with a stunning 28th-minute strike from fully 25-yards.
But that only served to arouse Rovers’ passion and it took last season’s top scorer Paul Acklam just two minutes to level with a superb chip from 18-yards.
Rovers dominated from start to finish but could not find the net until Andy Maddocks, continuing his impressive pre-season goal form, rose unchallenged to head home Richard Denby’s cross on 49 minutes.
The scoreline did not reflect Rovers domination, yet Westfields, who finished on a high with two last gasp corners, could have ended up snatching a point.
That would have served as a cruel reminder of Rovers’ downfall last term: dropping too many points to the also rans of the Banks’s League.
On Saturday their football was streets ahead of the Hereford-based side’s. But Paul Acklam saw two early headers ding back off the crossbar and Westfields were heartened for a dour battle.
Westfields had their first let off after just five minutes when Acklam soared to meet Richard Denby’s corner. Less than 15 minutes later the duo repeated the trick as Gresley, with Gil Land solid at the back on his league debut, completely snuffed out the visitor’s spark.
Incredibly, though, Westfields went ahead with their first cohesive attack of the game. Midfielder Phil Wood brought the ball infield from the right and Mallender arrived unchallenged to crash a piledriver past Aston from well outside the box.
It took just two minutes for Acklam to level, superbly chipping keeper Gareth Williams after Denby had charged down a clearance on the edge of the box.
Wood brought a brave stop from Aston as he weaved his way past Steve Astley, but that marked the end of Westfields’ threat. Goals seemed much likelier at the opposite end as memories of the previous season’s 10-0 route came flooding back, but there was tragedy for the Moatmen just before the interval when full back Paul Turner was carried off with a serious ankle injury.
Rovers’ luck hardly improved in the second half, with just Maddocks’ header separating the two sides. Prodigal substitute Brian Beresford – greeted warmly by the faithful on his return to the Moat – flicked Bob Aston’s mighty punt onto the crossbar but that was a close as Rovers came to converting their superiority into goals.
Rovers boss Frank Northwood complained afterwards: “It was untidy in the second half and at the end I was happy to hear the whistle. But it’s always difficult on the opening day and you can’t ask for anything more than three points.”
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Westfields (1) 1
Scorers: Acklam 30, Maddocks 49 (Gresley Rovers); Mallender 28 (Westfields).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Turner (Guest 38), Dick, Denby, Land, Astley, Laws (Beresford 61), Smith, Acklam, Maddocks, Lovell.
Westfields: G Williams, M Williams, Bowyer, Irvine, Rowley, Mallender (Higgins 87), Emery, Wood, B Corner, Herbert, Powell (D Corner 75).
Gresley man-of-the-match: Martin Dick.
Referee: M J Penn (Kingswinford).
Attendance: 272
