West Bromwich Town vs Gresley Rovers
One more step! – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
If the scoreline suggests a close game, do not be deceived. Gresley carried on at Noose Lane last night where they had left off the previous Saturday at Wednesfield: fluent, confident and dominant.
And another three points gained meant that now only an amazing turnaround of fortunes can stop the Moatmen becoming Banks’s League champions at last.
Victory over Lye Town at the Moat Ground on Saturday would leave Gresley needing only three more points to clinch the championship with six games to spare, setting the stage for a grand climax to manager Frank Northwood’s eight year quest at Stourport on Tuesday.
West Bromwich were dismissed from the chasing pack by two clinical second half strikes last night.
With Rovers making full use of every inch of the Willenhall pitch to stretch West Brom at every joint the only real surprise was that the game had not already been effectively won at half time.
Brian Beresford put an early shot on the turn just wide, Neil Lovell, returning from injury, failed to get enough power behind a promising-looking header, and Steve Adcock saw a meaty effort blocked after Beresford’s header had been cleared off the line.
Stuart Stokes missed the best chance, misplaced a header from Paul Acklam’s cross after a good run by Beresford.
But with the second half just three minutes old the midfielder made amends with emphatic style.
Acklam was tripped 25 yards out on the left and Stokes strode up to bury a fiercely delivered free kick into the top corner of the net.
Rovers were rampant Stokes put a header off target and Richard Denby sent a screaming drive inches over from 20-yards before a superb second goal settled the issue.
John Barry was the creator, bamboozling a defender on the right before sending in a measured near post cross that Adcock flicked between two defenders for Acklam to drive high into the roof of the net from five yards out.
In some other arena, Rovers display after that might have been described as exhibition football. Suffice to say that West Brom were given only one glimpse of goal, Benny Green giving the scoreline that distorted look by lifting the ball over Aston from 10 yards out after former Gresley striker Dave Morrison had flicked on a Kevin Pedley free kick.
West Bromwich Town (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Scorers: V Scott 81 (West Bromwich Town), Stokes 48, Acklam 60 (Gresley Rovers).
West Bromwich Town: Williams, Pedley, Owen, Ralph, Hollingsworth, Green, S Scott, Bowen (Fox 68), Morrison, V Scott, Haynes (Cullum 68).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Moore, Denby, Land, Astley, Stokes, Adcock (Weston 67), Beresford, Lovell (Rathbone 67).
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: C R Wilkes (Birmingham).
Attendance: 150
