Gresley Rovers vs Dudley Town
Rovers still to settle – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Holidays and unavailability have meant that Gresley boss Frank Northwood has yet to field a settled line-up with the start of another Banks’s campaign now just five days away.
Northwood hopes to use a friendly against Little Eaton tomorrow night to field something like the side that will kick off against Westfields at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
Among the players new to the Moat Ground on Saturday was Ian Heap, the former Burton Albion striker, who has been out of the game for 12 months of whom Northwood said: “He did very well.” Heap later agreed to join the club.
The Gresley boss was reluctant to announce any further signings, however, although he is due to have talks with former Derby County midfielder Stuart Stokes.
Stokes is among the most impressive of the newcomers brought in by Northwood during the summer and had a hand in Rovers’ second goal on Saturday. Although his shot from outside the box was a tame one, it benefited from a wicked deflection off defender Dale Mansell and ended up in the net.
Mansell’s look of disgust reflected the sort of afternoon he had endured – it was his attempted clearance from a Richard Denby cross that beat keeper Kevin Williams to give Gresley a 26th minute lead.
The only decent piece of finishing came from Pitken, who atoned for his earlier miss by rattling an 83rd minute shot past Aston.
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Dudley Town (0) 1
Scorers: Mansell (og) 26, Stokes 34 (Gresley Rovers); Pitken 83 (Dudley Town).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Elliott, Adcock, Denby, Heap, Barry, Stokes, Chamberlain, Acklam, Haynes, Lovell. Subs (all used): Maddocks, Igoe, Thompson.
