Gresley Rovers vs Pelsall Villa
Seven up – Niall Hickman – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers shot back to form last night with a magnificent seven goals blast to snatch pole position in the Banks’s League from Lye Town.
And the man who helped put them there with a hat trick was not even playing until minutes before the start.
Brian Beresford only made the first 11 because midfielder Stuart Stokes failed to turn up in time, but he returned with a glorious display to strike home a first half penalty and two simple tap ins.
On the heels of Rovers’ dreadful performance at Oldbury last week manager Frank Northwood described his team’s second half showing as probably the best 45 minutes from Gresley this season as they plundered six goals in an all out assault.
Villa took the lead against the run of play with a 20 yard dipping drive by Johnson after 17 minutes.
Rovers failed to get into their stride and looked to be suffering from the same lack of urgency as last week. But after the first half hour Acklam tempted Pelsall’s McDonald into a reckless challenge to earn the home side a penalty. Beresford scored from the spot for his ninth goal of the season.
Numbers 10 and 11 in Beresford’s eighth appearance of this season were to come in a second half, which was a complete contrast to Gresley’s opening disjointed efforts. The main destroyer turned out to be Paul Acklam who time and again was the key to unlocking the Pelsall defence.
However, Rovers took the lead ten minutes into the half thanks to Wimbledon rather than West Ham tactics when a hoof up the middle by Astley ended with Smith winning the chase to bravely slide home.
The killer blow came in the 65th minute thanks to a stunning run and cross from Acklam which gifted Beresford his second.
A minute later Acklam stretched the lead by glancing a Denby cross perfectly inside the far post.
Beresford continued to fluff chances for his hat trick before Smith’s shot rebounded off the post to present him with an open goal two yards from the line.
In the last ten minutes Rovers best two goals of the game may have left Pelsall wondering why they had expended such energy in the first half.
The truth was Villa had simply run out of steam by the time Elliott smashed a ferocious 30-yarder home and Denby stroked in a right foot effort from the edge of the box.
Gresley Rovers (1) 7
Pelsall Villa (1) 1
Scorers: Beresford 32 (pen), 65, 78, Smith 55, Acklam 66, Elliott 82, Denby 87 (Gresley Rovers); Johnson 17 (Pelsall Villa).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Elliott, Denby, Land, Astley, Weston, Smith, Acklam, Beresford, Lovell. Subs not used: Thomson, Maddocks.
Pelsall Villa: Middleton, Lycett, Overton (Hart 77), Coles, McDonald, Rowley, Horne, Johnson, Duffus, Haytree, Gough. Sub not used: Stevens.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Paul Acklam.
Referee: G Banwell (Eccleshall).
Attendance: 504
