Gresley Rovers vs Hinckley Athletic
Norton revs up Rovers – Rex Page – Burton Mail
Have-boots-will-travel striker Trace Norton re-ignited Gresley Rovers’ Banks’s League title challenge at the Moat Ground yesterday.
Norton, for whom Gresley home games mean a 400-mile round trip, found the shortest route to goal as the Moatmen soared back to the top-of-the-table.
Not even two late lapses which allowed Hinckley Athletic to make the result look deceptively close to take the gloss of an impressive Roves’ display.
And it was the recently-maligned Norton who stoked up his team mates. The elegant striker brilliantly converted two chances that came his way, was only denied a hat-trick by the woodwork and had a decisive hand in Gresley’s other goals.
It was a glittering performance that prompted Rovers’ boss Frank Northwood to snarl: “I didn’t hear anyone calling for Trace to be taken off today. He’s class.”
Norton helped to put Rovers on the road to victory after only four, cleverly holding the ball up for Martin Dick to send in a cross tailor made for Kieron Smith to convert with a six-yard header.
Despite having the wind blasting in their faces, Gresley dominated the play and Norton thrashed a 30-yard shot against the underside of the bar as they attempted to confirm their superiority with more goals.
Andy Hill carelessly wasted a rare opening which came Hinckley’s way before Gresley got the second goal they had long threatened in the 40th minute.
Steve Astley did the spadework, winning the ball in a tangle with Lee Wade, to set up Norton for a perfect left foot finish from 12 yards.
Hinckley were in some danger of total capitulation when Gresley hit them with a two-goal blast in the first four minutes of the second half.
First Norton beat two defenders before depositing a truly magnificent 15-yard shot into the far corner then paved the way for Richard Denby to drive in a left footer of unfaltering power and accuracy from the edge of the area.
It hardly seemed to matter that Hinckley were allowed to creep back into the game, though with Saturday’s collapse at Rocester still fresh in the mind the Leicestershire side’s late rally caused a few flutters on the terraces.
Scott Mackay, fastening onto the rebound from substitute Paul Shackleton’s shot, trimmed Gresley’s lead in the 79th minute and Hill added a second five minutes when full back Steve Markham picked him out for a far post header.
Gresley Rovers (2) 4
Hinckley Athletic (0) 2
Scorers: Smith 4, Norton 40, 46, Denby 49 (Gresley Rovers); Mackay 79, Hill 84 (Hinckley Athletic).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Adcock, Dick, Denby, Land, Astley, Page (Bottomley 45), Norton, Smith, Beresford (Christopher 72), Lovell.
Hinckley Athletic: Bray, Markham, Walsh, Scoular, Wade, Mackay, Hammond, Simpson, Olivant, Hill, Montgomery (Shackleton 72). Sub not used: Lambert.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Tracey Norton.
Referee: J A Sheffield (Walsall).
Attendance: 447
