Gresley Rovers vs Oldbury United
Treble chance – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers are champions of the Banks’s League at last.
The perpetual nearly men of seasons past finally became glorious winners thanks to a tense, narrow victory over second-placed Oldbury United at the Moat Ground in front of an 847 crowd last night.
A goal from Kieron Smith – neatly constructed and superbly executed after half an hour – decided the issue, although the occasion never really developed into an unbridled celebration. Manager Frank Northwood hinted afterwards that the time to set the champagne corks popping was yet to come, saying: “We’re going for the treble now – and Frankie says the treble is on!”
Northwood refused to accept that the tension of the occasion had got to his team saying: “Once we’d scored I don’t think there was any doubt about the outcome.
“Smithy scored one out of three chances that came his way, the other two got away. But I could never see any way back for Oldbury after that.”
Coach Steve Dolby explained: “We were playing our closest rivals tonight so it was always going to be a tight game.
“We dominated the first half and they came at us in the second, but we could afford to sit back a bit at that stage.”
Smith’s moment of glory came after half an hour when Paul Acklam got a vital touch to John Barry’s long throw from the right and the striker rose at the far post to net a snaking header from close range.
Rovers had already done enough to merit their lead, forcing Oldbury onto the defensive almost from the off.
Indeed, Smith could have given them an early lead after superb touches from Steve Adcock and Carl Rathbone released him down the left but the final shot was disappointing.
Then Rathbone’s run and cross created another good opportunity but this time Smith failed to connect and when the ball came to Stuart Stokes the midfielder fired just wide of the angle.
Rathbone controlled Adcock’s cross with a single touch before powering a cross shot just past a post as Oldbury threw all hands to the defensive pumps, then Acklam’s header came back off the side of a post after Steve Astley had headed on a Richard Denby corner. Finally Smith, set up by Rathbone, fired just wide from the edge of the area.
The stage was set for a second half barnstormer by Gresley but Oldbury, at times throwing all caution to the wind, pressed forward in search of a leveller.
After Denby had powered a 20-yarder just over Rovers diminished as an attacking force and the qualities to admire were defensive ones, Gil Land’s dominating presence at the back, Martin Dick’s power on the ground and in the air man-of-the-match Barry’s perception and pace denying Oldbury a single clear cut chance.
Such was the visitors’ preoccupation with seeking such an opportunity that one Astley clearance left Acklam clear with substitute Brian Beresford and Smith in support and only one defender barring the way, but the chance was wasted when Smith drifted offside.
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Oldbury United (0) 0
Scorer: Smith 30.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Dick, Denby, land, Astley, Stokes, Smith (Weston 77), Acklam, Rathbone (Beresford 45), Adcock.
Oldbury United: Johnson, Loughran, Lippitt, Wakefield, R Hill, Unitt, Nicklin (Price 77), K Hill (Brooks 79), G Jones, S Jones, Conniff.
Gresley man-of-the-match: John Barry.
Referee: A J Martin (Penkridge)
Attendance: 847
