Rocester vs Gresley Rovers
We’ll meet again: five times! – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Rocester and Gresley battled to an inevitable draw at Riversfield on Saturday – meaning that the two clubs must meet a further FIVE times this season.
With a cup replay, two league games and two Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup clashes to come the two rivals will have ample opportunity to establish who rules the roost.
Rocester have the better derby record at the moment, having yet to lose to Gresley since gaining promotion to the Banks’s Premier Division two years ago. But the honours were firmly even after Saturday’s league cup first round tie. Although it might be argued that Rovers employed the better periods of Saturday’s game.
Rocester manager Alan Beaman agreed with the view. “They dominated the second half,” he said afterwards. “But having said that, we are a little bit unhappy because we had our chances. I was desperately disappointed that Alan Ibbs didn’t score in the second half. He was 10 yards out when he got the ball and you should score in those situations.”
Gresley manager Frank Northwood thought his side should have wrapped up the game in the first 45 minutes.
“We should have won it by half time,” he said. “Then they came back and could have won it. But I’m happy to take them back for a replay. I know we can play better than that but I wonder if they can.”
Mick Collins, who has a habit on putting one over on his old mates, opened the scoring with what Beaman described as “a unique goal.”
The excellent Mark Deaville launched a length-of-the-field kick, Collins beat Rovers keeper Bob Aston to the bouncing ball and, as it broke to the left of the goal, sidefooted across from a tight angle into an unguarded net.
Gresley could have been level almost straight away; Kieron Smith burst into the Rocester box but hesitated fatally and allowed Deaville to save.
Referee Watson then began to impose his character on the game with the first of six bookings, only two of which were for bad tackles.
Nonetheless, the caution count eventually gave the impression of a dirty game, which this patently was not.
Fast and furious at times it certainly was, but a moment of calm creativity created Gresley’s second half equaliser.
Paul Acklam held the ball up well in the box and Kieron Smith delivered a delightfully weighted cross to the far post where Andy Moore was the first of two waiting Gresley players to convert a close range chance.
Earlier Rocester’s Ibbs had failed to show such composure, blasting one chance over then beating Aston with another effort that Gil Land cleared off the line.
As the half progressed, though, Gresley began to look the likelier winners, and only a superb reflex save by Deaville denied Smith, shooting from point blank range.
Rocester (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: Collins 19 (Rocester); Moore 49 (Gresley Rovers).
Rocester: Deaville, Ede, Nixon, Mottram, Damjanovic, K Barry, France, Mayer, Collins (Walklate 85), Ibbs, Hemmings. Sub not used: Owen.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, J Barry, Dick, Elliott, Land, Astley, Moore, Smith, Acklam, Stokes (Adcock 45), Lovell. Sub not used: Maddocks.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Gil Land.
Referee: L L Watson (Coventry).
Attendance: 317
