Gresley Rovers vs Chelmsford City
An air of gloom pervaded the Moat Ground after Gresley's second consecutive home defeat on Saturday but it was not shared by boss Steve Dolby.
Although not exactly delighted at seeing his team plunge to their first league reversal of the season hard on the heels of an embarrassing FA Cup exit, Dolby was swift to point out: "It was one of those days for us."
Certainly, the Moat frowns could easily have been turned upside down during a second half dominated by Rovers, but, despite somewhat belatedly adjusting their game to expose Chelmsford's Achilles heel, the chances would not go in.
Rovers main failing was they spent much of the first hour of the game delivering the kind of service that Chelmsford have long been known for lapping up.
The ball was rarely on the ground as Dolby's team sought to cancel out Neil Docking's fourth-minute opener. It was only when the previously anonymous Ady Mann and his colleagues began to run at the visitors' defence that a chink of light appeared in City's leviathan defence.
Chelmsford had profited from a policy of attacking from the word go, pouring forward from the opening whistle.
They reaped rapid dividends when Lee Hunter's free kick from deep on the right fell kindly for Docking to whip in a first time shot from 18 yards that Stuart Ford could not keep out despite getting both hands to the ball.
Hopes of a quick equaliser quickly foundered as Paul Wardle put a header over from Richard Denby's corner.
A familiar war of attrition ensured as Chelmsford proved that, while the personnel might have change the style had not.
Rovers might have suffered further when the influential Rob Garvey let fly from 30 yards with Ford relieved to see the ball skid wide while Dave Taylor's header from 10 yards was off target at the other end.
Taylor then skipped round a defender onto Graeme Rigg's through ball but, as ever, there was another in waiting and Ray Taylor quickly blocked his striking namesake's effort.
Rovers stepped up their efforts after the break with no real signs of a break through despite Wardle being pushed into midfield in a bid to match City's height and brawn.
Taylor might have produced the breakthrough when he held off two defenders to reach Andy Garner's through ball only to roll the ball wide. He then found Ray Taylor again waiting with a well-timed tackle as he threatened on the right.
Dolby introduced Rob McGovern and Mark Hurst in a bid to pep his side and the ploy almost paid off, Wardle heading down Mann's free kick and Hurst connecting well only for his header to fly straight into Lee Ballard's hands.
The substitute then combined well with Mann as the midfielder ran at the heart of the City defence but when his lay-off found Wardle in an inviting position it was Garvey that this time provided a last ditch block.
Garner put a header over from Brian Horseman's cross but there was an air of desperation about Rovers now.
Dolby tried one last ploy by pushing Horseman forward and bringing on Stuart Evans at the back. The substitute's first touch in trying to control Mark Kane's cross was a poor one and Garvey seized on the loose ball to send the Essex men home happy with a crisp 12 yard drive.
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Chelmsford City (1) 2
Scorers: Docking 4, Garvey 89
Gresley Rovers: Ford, Foster, Horseman, Denby, P Wardle (Evans 88), Stanborough, Fowkes (Hurst 61), Rigg (McGovern 55), Garner, Mann, D Taylor.
Chelmsford City: Ballard, Hunter, Watts, Bird, R Taylor, Keen, Davidson (Kane 82), Garvey, Mayes (Mansfield 84), Docking, Bellingham. Sub not used: Hudson.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Brian Horseman
Referee: M Singh (Coseley)
Attendance: 545
