Gresley Rovers vs Stourport Swifts
Rovers softened up by leaders - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley boss Frank Northwood again bemoaned his side's defensive frailties after seeing them take only a point from a game they dominated virtually throughout.
A pre-match knee injury to Dean Page settled Northwood's defensive conundrum but still Rovers were soft-centred as Stourport twice stole goals against the run of play.
Russ Parmenter was allowed free passage through the right of Gresley's penalty area to set up Richard Hancox's 11th minute opener, the midfielder driving across Bob Aston from an acute angle on the left after a flailing rearguard had failed to clear its lines.
Skipper Richard Denby set up Paul Acklam with a stooping far post header for the equaliser, but Rovers' right flank was then breached again by Hancox and Shamus Roche comprehensively beat Stuart Evans in the air to head powerfully past Aston's dive from six yards.
Stourport were given less and less chance to display their fluent passing game as Rovers pushed and probed forward.
Neil Lovell's industry and Acklam's accurate far post cross from the left set up Carl Rathbone for a 44th minute equaliser headed in at the far post, and after the break it seemed only a matter of time before Gresley secured maximum points.
Denby, Acklam twice and substitute Kieron Smith all went perilously close to grabbing a winner but, with both sides flagging visibly in the final quarter, at the full time whistle Hancock's 18-yard effort that smacked against the crossbar went down as the nearest thing to a deciding goal.
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Stourport Swifts (2) 2
Scorers: Acklam 24, Rathbone 44 (Gresley Rovers); Hancox 11, Roche 32 (Stourport Swifts).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Nuttall (Barry 71), Denby, Land, Evans, Weston, Beresford, Acklam, Rathbone (K Smith 70), Lovell.
Stourport Swifts: Scarr, Carter, Kerby, Brooks, Vasselly, Parmenter, Lowell, Talbot, Maffei (Mullen 75), Roche, Hancox. Sub not used: M Smith.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: JE Biddle (Solihull).
Attendance: 434
