Hinckley Athletic vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley sink jinx – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers completed a potentially treacherous Bank Holiday assignment by comfortably easing themselves back into a 11-point Banks’s League lead at Hinckley Athletic yesterday.
Middlefield Lane has not been Rovers’ happiest hunting ground in recent seasons but goals in each half from Kieron Smith and Craig Weston ensured there was no repeat of the previous week’s hiccup at Rushall.
Manager Frank Northwood said after a routine victory: “It was a scrappy game but I’m happy with three points. No-one could expect a super performance after Saturday’s show at Littlehampton, but it was the result that mattered.”
In fact, Gresley looked anything but jaded after recent exertions. With Richard Denby at his commanding best in a four-man midfield and strikers Kieron Smith and Carl Rathbone always eager for openings, Rovers dominated the opening stages and scored after eight minutes.
Denby was inevitably involved, releasing Smith for a long run at goal with a superbly weighted 50-yard pass. Smith’s cross was cleared for a corner, and from Weston’s kick, Rathbone beat keeper Lol Chamberlain to head goalwards and Smith, following up, helped the ball over the line.
It was fitting reward for the tireless front runner, who suffered rugged treatment from the second minute onwards when defender Nick Stanborough was booked for a painful foul.
Hinckley brought some pressure to bear as the half progressed but Bob Aston was equal to their best effort, a 20-yard drive from Mark Orton that the keeper, diving to his left, held in mid-air.
The second half was just 27 seconds old when Gresley scored their second, Denby and Smith again carving the chance and Weston beating a defender on the 18-yard line before scoring with a deflected shot.
Gresley were content to keep Hinckley back peddling with former Oldbury defender Russell Walton making an impressive debut as substitute for Rathbone.
Hinckley Athletic (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Scorers: Smith 8, Weston 46.
Hinckley Athletic: Chamberlain, Markham, London, Moore (Sockett 45), Stanborough, Dawson, Orton, Hammond, Shackleton (Williamson 71), Payne, Clark.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Elliott, Denby, Land, Astley, Stokes (Walton 71), Smith, Weston, Rathbone (Adcock 68), Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Kieron Smith.
Referee: E J Walsh (Rednall).
Attendance: 400
