Gresley Rovers vs Halesowen Town
It’s ours! – Ian Croson – Burton Mail
Skipper Richard Denby raised the Banks’s League trophy to celebrate Gresley’s title triumph last night – but it was the Moat Ground’s prodigal son who stole the show.
“Bezza’s staying at Gresley! Bezza’s staying at Gresley! Chanted a packed Moat Ground after they watched manager Frank Northwood, probable Wembley side edge out plucky Halesowen with a 79th minute penalty engineered by substitute Brian Beresford.
Rovers’ championship party seemed to be heading for a damp squib in the pouring rain and thick mud until Beresford – hero of Saturday’s title-clinching victory over Ilkeston – stepped into the action.
“Bezza”, enjoying a renaissance since returning from Stapenhill, had been on the field barely four minutes when Halesowen right back Corrigan Lockett whacked him across the shins in a clumsy foul that not only gifted Rovers a penalty but ensured he himself took no further part in the game.
Stuart Stokes promptly stepped up to clock up Gresley’s 100th league goal of the season by hammering the spot kick high into the centre of the net.
Even then, manager Frank Northwood was not satisfied. “The goalkeeper almost got a touch to that one,” he grumbled to the penalty taker afterwards.
With up to an inch of rainwater lying on the pitch in places, it was a far cry from Wembley and a wonder that a football match started at all, especially since Halesowen turned up with clashing white kit and had to borrow Gresley’s blue change shirts.
However. Both sides gritted their teeth and, in the circumstances, did remarkably well.
Denby’s environment, in the centre of Rovers’ midfield, was worst affected but his obvious class oozed out of the mud as countless times he scooped the ball out of the gluepot to constantly feed the three-man attack.
However, the championship party might have fallen somewhat flat had Halesowen’s shooting power had been better.
As early as the third minute Richard Madeley latched onto a Scott Elliott header, only to shoot weakly at Bob Aston. The Gresley keeper then had merely to field efforts from striker Peter Grocken and Steve Ingram before he was called into serious action early in the second half.
Ten minutes after the break he dived at the feet of Nick Henley and produced a brilliant one handed save low to his right to keep out Grocken’s powerful 73rd minute drive.
Rovers could have had it wrapped up long before the penalty had Paul Acklam had his shooting boots on too.
The striker was twice clear on goal but blew his chances. The first went inches wide in the 28th minute when Mark Ashton could only parry Steve Astley’s 25-yard drive and 12 minutes after the break Acklam was quickly onto another follow up from Stokes’ shot, but this time the keeper made an excellent close-range save.
With Denby’s 67th minute bullet going wide and another Stokes effort being saved it seemed the deadlock would never be broken but then it was enter “Bezza”.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Halesowen Harriers (0) 0
Scorer: Stokes 79 (pen).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Elliott, Denby, Land, Astley, Stokes, Smith, Acklam, Rathbone (Beresford 75), Lovell (Weston 75).
Halesowen Harriers: Ashton, Lockett (Hedley 82), Shepherd, Guest, Shotton, Marsh, Madeley, Ingram, Grocken, Guise, Henley.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: M Carrington (Loughborough).
Attendance: 742
