Gresley Rovers vs Matlock Town
Power failure – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Matlock Town opened up the class gap to comfortably consign Gresley Rovers to their second Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup defeat of the season at the Moat Ground last night.
Gresley were never able to match the fluency of a Gladiators side full of poise and off-the-ball running despite being given the advantage of a classic Brian Beresford goal after only eight minutes.
And while there was certainly cause for disgruntlement over the manner in which Frank Northwood had no complaints afterwards.
“If it had been a league match I’d have been worried,” he said. “But I’ve no complaints about the result. They played some good stuff and fully deserved their win.”
Derek Christopher gave a hint of the promise yet to be fulfilled since his move from Paget Rangers by setting up Rovers’ early opener.
Neil Lovell storming run from deep opened up the Matlock defence and when the ball eventually reached Christopher on the left he beat a defender before picking out Beresford on the near post for a header that had only one destination – the back of the net.
Rovers looked good for more goals after this with Wayne Scally threatening on the right but after skipper Richard Denby limped from the action with a hamstring injury Matlock moved into the ascendancy.
Matlock achieved a slightly fortuitous break through on 55 minutes. Craig Thompson’s shot from well outside the box looked destined for a goal kick until Steve Johnson stuck out a boot to divert the ball past Bob Aston from the edge of the penalty area.
Within two minutes Matlock were presented with a gift lead when Steve Astley turned a disastrous square ball along the edge of the box straight to Johnson who converted the unlikely chance with chilling efficiency.
Even a major reshuffle sparked by the introduction of substitute John Bottomley could not alter the flow and Aston was forced to make a tremendous diving save to prevent Greg Mitchell adding a third.
Aston was powerless, though, when Kevin Gee, looking at least a yard offside, burst down the right onto David Burrows’ crossfield pass to wrap thing up for the HFS Loans League side with just five minutes remaining.
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Matlock Town (0) 3
Scorers: Beresford 8 (Gresley Rovers); Johnson 55, 57, Gee 85 (Matlock Town).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Page, Hall, Denby (Land 19), Skeemer, Astley, Scally, Beresford, Smith, Christopher, Lovell (Bottomley 75).
Matlock Town: Wilson, Franklin, Mitchell, Thompson, Fuller, Ridley, Johnson (Sheppard 80), Atkin, Hoyland, Gee, Burrows. Sub not used: Mullins.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Kieron Smith.
Referee: D Redshaw (Kirk Langley).
Attendance: 357
