Gresley Rovers vs Stourport Swifts
Astley switches to Rovers’ goal hero – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Rovers eased further ahead of their Banks’s League title rivals with a comfortable victory at the Moat Ground last night.
And as Rovers returned to the goal trail it was big Steve Astley, normally deployed to stop the opposition from scoring, who led the charge.
Switched from sweeper to a left sided midfield role by manager Frank Northwood, unhappy at his side’s lack of potency at Hinckley on Boxing Day, Astley scored twice and set up another as Gresley totally swept aside their lowly guests.
Astley opened the scoring on the half hour with a goal owing much to good fortune.
Ominously, though, with a visit from archenemies Paget Rangers coming up tomorrow, Gresley had before that looked vulnerable and square at time defence.
Keeper Bob Aston denied Swifts an unlikely opening goal with a wonderful save from David Lee’s fizzing drive on 18 minutes and twice raced from his line as the visitors broke through.
But after skipper Richard Denby had seen a shot clawed away for a corner after 30 minutes Astley picked up the half-cleared flag kick and drove the ball low and hard into the box where keeper Rob Wilson allowed it to flash past him at the near post.
Four minutes later Astley teased and taunted a defender on the goal line before whipping in a low cross that Paul Acklam converted with venom.
Stourport were totally at sea by now and Acklam and Astley could have had further goals before Kieron Smith converted a Michael Guest cross from the right with a clinical near post header on the hour.
It was now a case of how many Rovers would score and Astley soon added another, firing in a pinpoint free kick after he had been fouled on the edge of the box.
Then Denby blocked a free kick and unleashed Acklam with superb 60-yard pass for Rovers’ fifth.
Plucky Stourport kept battling as Rovers cruised towards the final whistle and, incredibly, were rewarded with three clear cut chances in the final 10 minutes. Paul Buckley and Robert Smith both found their way into shooting positions but Aston was perfectly positioned each time. Then Buckley had the best chance of all to spoil Aston’s clean sheet but again the keeper was in the right place at the right time.
Gresley Rovers (2) 5
Stourport Swifts (0) 0
Scorers: Astley 31, 63; Acklam 35, 73; K Smith 60 (Gresley Rovers).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Nicklin, Bottomley, Denby, Land, Skeemer, Guest (Lovell 79), Norton, Acklam, K Smith (Maddocks 72), Astley.
Stourport Swifts: Wilson, Brookes, Langford, R Smith, Baylis, Little, Lee, Buckley, Duffield, Shinton, Rice. Subs not used: Lynass, Evans.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Bob Aston.
Referee: M Warren.
Attendance: 346
