Hinckley Town vs Gresley Rovers
Rovers make their point – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley came away from Hinckley’s Leicester Road ground on Saturday still without a goal to show from three attempts.
But, crucially, they brought with them this time a league point – and what a vital point it could turn out to be!
It was a point earned by a display of grit and character that helped erase the memory of the previous Monday’s 3-1 reversal at Lye, their first away defeat of the season in the Banks’s League.
Hinckley were determined to administer the second on Saturday to step up their own outside claims to the title. But some crucial early saves by Rovers’ keeper Bob Aston and, after that, a disciplined and determined defensive display, virtually ended those aspirations.
Aston, who had earlier saved with his feet from Dave Tedds, provided the highlight of the game in the 35th minute when he produced a breathtaking save from Town’s big money striker Tony Robinson, a reported £1,000 purchase from Leicester United.
The flying keeper pushed a close range shot around a post when a goal seemed absolutely certain, and after that Hinckley wilted.
The home side could have got off to a perfect start when the tricky Andy Massey burst through but Steve Astley cleared his shot off the line and Gil Land repeated the trick when Rovers old boy Martin Haskins drove in the rebound..
Gresley had their first half moments, too, Trace Norton just failing to make contact after Derek Christopher had produced a superb cross from the left. And Kieron Smith was presented with a glorious chance by substitute Jim Child’s suicidal backpass only to hesitate as the ball bobbled, Norton then seeing his effort hacked off the line by Paul Purser.
Smith almost atoned for his miss by skinning Barry Wilcox, another Rovers old boy, on the left but Paul Acklam headed a glorious chance over the bar.
Gresley dominated for long periods of the second half but in a swirling wind and on a bumpy surface were unable to find any sort of fluency. Instead, Hinckley threatened occasionally to spoil the show on the break but Massey and yet another ex-Rover, Colin Taylor, shot wide and Tedds skewed Taylor’s free kick just over the angle. Then new signing Gary Edmonds almost pinched the result for Gresley when he headed Norton’s cross wide at the death.
Hinckley Town (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Hinckley Town: Hewitt, Potter (Childs 25), Purser, Williams, C Taylor, Wilcox, M Taylor (Corby 87), Robinson, Massey, Haskins, Tedds.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, Dick (Page 72), Denby, Land, Astley, Christopher, Norton, Acklam, Smith (Edmonds 81), Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: John Bottomley.
Referee: R W Harris (Wolverhampton).
Attendance: 285
