Rushall Olympic vs Gresley Rovers
Frank stays cool – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
“Don’t panic!” was Gresley boss Frank Northwood’s message to Rovers fans after his side’s second league defeat in three games.
“Other people are beginning to flap – but I’m not,” said Northwood after a dismal performance at Rushall.
And the veteran supremo pledged: “Things will come right. We’ll bounce back very quickly. One or two people weren’t pulling their weight out there and I’ll be doing something about that. But I would plead with our supporters to be patient and get behind us for our last eight games. They could be the strength that gets Gresley to the title.”
Apart from a blistering opening quarter in which Rushall barely saw the ball, Rovers looked anything but title contenders on Saturday.
Their football was fast and fluent as they sought an early goal but after Paul Acklam had headed a Richard Denby free kick over the bar Gil Land’s shot was deflected off a defender for a corner the momentum was lost.
Rovers were finally reduced to pumping high balls down the middle of the park where former Moat Ground defender Stuart Watkiss was able to blot out the efforts of Tracey Norton with ease. And with Kieron Smith having an off day and Acklam often isolated Rovers were left with little else to offer despite Denby’s graft.
The Gresley skipper saw a second half corner fumbled against the crossbar by the home keeper but suddenly Rushall were ahead after their first real shot of the afternoon, Ian Bosworth cracking in a low shot from the edge of the box after substitute Clive Bullock laid on the chance.
Acklam put another header just over from Neil Lovell’s cross but it was Rushall who looked the most likely to add to the scoring and there was a sense of inevitability about Mark Wakefield’s 90th-minute piledriver set up after John Winwood had wriggled past three defenders.
Rushall Olympic (0) 2
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorers: Bosworth 70, Wakefield 90
Rushall Olympic: Chandler, C Page (Bullock 62), Perry, Dawson, Watkiss, Wakefield, Hill, Morris, Winwood, Bosworth, Bradburn. Sub not used: Simms.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley (Edmonds 46), Page, Denby, Land, Astley, Scally, Norton, Acklam, Smith (Christoper 62), Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: C R Wilkes (Hartbury).
Attendance: 200
