Hinckley Town vs Gresley Rovers
Giant leap forward for Rovers – Andy Parker - Burton Mail
If Saturday’s game at Leicester Road gave an indication of Gresley’s progress as a team since last season, then it must be measured in terms of leaps and bounds.
Manager Steve Dolby was quick to point out after his teams stroll: “If we’d come here and won 4-0 last season we’d have thought it was a great result, yet today we looked like we could score at will. But it also showed how much harder it is to get goals in the Premier Division.”
True, Hinckley, despite their comparatively improved league position since Rovers secured promotion at the same ground in May, looked to have declined.
But Rovers showed the poise and professionalism acquired during their brief Beazer Premier careers to maintain their shape and discipline and impose a steely grip on their Dr Martens Southern League Cup first round, first leg tie, right from the off.
Town were allowed just three attempts on goal in the game, none of them requiring a save from Bob Aston, while Rovers maintained controlled pressure throughout.
And if this was an opportunity for Rovers players to show how well they can perform against opposition of below Premier Division standard, none took the chance better than youngster Mark Blount.
The former Derby defender only came into the side when Rovers were hit by injuries, but his performances since then have underscored Dolby’s prediction that: “Once he gets in, he might be difficult to leave out.”
But if Blount caught the eye of a 400-plus crowd – made up entirely of Rovers supporters – none of his teammates allowed their standards to slip either.
Craig Weston, particularly in the first half, showed how determined he is to keep his place in the side, adding flair and penetration to Rovers’ right flank, while fellow midfielders Richard Wardle and Tony Marsden, both left out for recent games, provided more than sufficient bristle and competitiveness to brush aside Town.
Weston played a key role in Rovers’ opener, heading Graeme Rigg’s cross goalwards from just inside a crowded penalty area and the ball seemed destined to cross the line before Paul Acklam got a final touch for his second goal in consecutive games since returning from injury.
Rovers forced 11 corners to their hosts’ one in the first half and it was from the 11th of these that they scored their second, a clearance reaching only as far as Marsden whose cross was punched out by keeper Dennis Burke to Martin Devaney, who volleyed spectacularly home from 12 yards.
Simon Osborne replaced Devaney, victim of a thigh muscle injury, just before the hour and soon made an impact, skating clear down the right and crossing for Acklam to take full advantage of Marsden’s dummy by firing in from 12 yards via a post.
Marsden finished off the scoring in injury time, forcing the ball home after his header from Weston’s corner had been blocked to complete a thoroughly efficient day’s work for the Moatmen.
Hinckley Town (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (2) 4
Scorers: Acklam 30, 60 Devaney 43, Marsden 91
Hinckley Town: Burke, Ison, Lane, Griffin, Purser, Prime (Rudkin 45), Cadell, Potts, Shields (Symcock 71), Machin, Kennedy.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Blount, Swainston, Rigg, Evans, Stanborough (Hurst 64), Wardle, Weston, Acklam, Devaney (Osborne 58), Marsden.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Mark Blount.
Referee: G Stretton (Enderby).
Attendance: 412
