Lye Town vs Gresley Rovers
Bezza sinks Rovers’ rivals – Andy Parker
Brian Beresford’s supreme predatory instinct was in the end all that separated league leaders Gresley from one of their closest rivals.
But don’t be fooled by the scoreline, Gresley created 10 good scoring chances in a match they dominated throughout and if manager Frank Northwood has any cause at all for concern it is that they only put one of those away.
Beresford’s deadly reflexes were t thank for that. The veteran striker seized on a loose ball in a crowded Lye penalty area after Dave Wood had beaten keeper Andy Crannage in a race for Neil Lovell’s through ball and whipped it into the back of the net before the home defence had time to blink.
That gave Gresley a 10th minute lead they always seemed likely to build on. Always solid at the back, they repelled any notion of a fightback by the third placed club and the first half turned into a procession of spectacular goal attempts.
Lovell fired a dipping 30-yard volley into the roof of the net then shot just wide after a moment of trickery of the 18-yard line and Craig Weston was denied only by Crannage’s feet.
Wood shot wide, then Smith mishit in front of an empty net after winning a race with Beresford for Phil Cartwright’s errant back-pass.
Beresford was most unfortunate of all, shaving the woodwork with one long-range effort then forcing Crannage to tip over another.
The pattern continued after the interval with Beresford forcing Crannage into another good save but Lye were grimly determined to salvage something from the game and almost did from a lightning break down the left.
But keeper Bob Aston rescued Gresley by blocking Mark Wingfield’s effort with his feet and Lye’s best chance had gone.
Lye Town (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Scorer: Beresford 10.
Lye Town: Crannage, Bradley, Cooper, C Field, Cartwright, Whitehead, Beasley, Wesson, S Field, Wingfield, Box. Subs: Bailey, Young.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Elliott, Denby, Land, Astley, Weston, Smith, Wood (Adcock 67), Beresford, Lovell. Sub not used: Bottomley.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: J E Biddle (Solihull).
Attendance: 180
