Gresley Rovers vs Tipton Town
Rovers go to Town on sad Tipton – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley moved to within a point of the Banks’s League top spot with a routine victory over pointless Tipton at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
Two goals in each half consigned the Black Country strugglers to their 10th successive league defeat – but the club whose greatest boast is that Steve Bull took his first long-legged strides to freedom in their colours will have gone home thankful that it was only four.
Former Burton Albion front-runner Dave Wood marked his debut with the opening goal – but could and should have gone back home with the match ball as a memento of the occasion.
Such was Gresley’s potency in attack – and such Tipton’s defensive ineptness – that Wood could quite easily have rubbed further salt into Tipton’s gaping wounds with at least a hat trick.
He was on hand to profit from the rebound when Paul Acklam’s 27th –minute shot from outside the box came back off the bar, sweeping the ball home from close range.
And the roles were reversed on the stroke of half time when Wood headed John Barry’s cross against the woodwork and Acklam helped the ball over the line from a yard out.
The ex-Albion striker opened up the Tipton defence again after the break with a terrific right wing run and when Neil Lovell returned his cross into the box Wood was inches away from his second. Then Scott Elliott and Kieron Smith worked another opening but Wood, unmarked six yards out, fired straight at keeper Gary Price.
Another opportunity went to waste after Smith had headed Lovell’s cross against the bar, Wood driving the rebound over this time, but Tipton’s luck ran out in the 67th minute when Smith gambolled free down the centre to fire home.
Dean Page’s return after a long injury lay-off as an 80th minute substitute was greeted by one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon before Acklam completed the scoring.
Gresley Rovers (2) 4
Tipton Town (0) 0
Scorers: Wood 27, Acklam 44, 82, Smith 67,
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Dick (Bottomley 19), Elliott, Land, Astley, Adcock, Smith, Acklam, Wood (Page 80), Lovell.
Tipton Town: G Price, Nash, Kelford, Burns, Hooper, Owen, N Price, O’Sullivan, Hartle, Fowmess, Miller. Subs not used: Henley, Baker.
Gresley man-of-the-match: John Barry.
Refree: A E Ashley (Nuneaton).
Attendance: 297
