Gresley Rovers vs Oldbury United
Rovers ring the winning changes – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley boss Frank Northwood sprang a few surprises – dropping in-form defender Martin Dick, switching centre half Gil Land to midfield and naming new signing Jason Minton as captain – but the shake up paid off at the Moat Ground last night.
Two goals in the first 25 minutes – the second spectacularly delivered by Land – put Gresley in control and although there was less fluency about their second half performance the outcome was still a massive improvement on the weekend’s dismal showing at Paget.
Coach Steve Dolby said: “There’s still work to be done – but we’re a lot happier now than we were on Saturday.”
Paul Acklam put the smiles back on Gresley faces with a 15th-minute header from Craig Weston’s free kick that most of the 377 crowd appeared to think had gone over the bar.
The difficult conditions were highlighted by Bob Aston’s athletic tip-over after Paul Lippitt’s cross had caught in the swirling wind, but Rovers stuck to their tasks and were rewarded by a second goal on 25 minutes. Oldbury were unable to clear insistent Gresley pressure and when the ball came out to Land he sent a left foot drive spearing into the top corner.
Oldbury pulled a goal back 10 minutes from the end when Alan Hunt – one of two county cricketers playing for United – fired home from 10 yards after Stan Jones’ shot had come back off a post.
But Kieron Smith put paid to any notions of a comeback when he picked up on Paul Bannister’s awful backpass and slipped the ball under Steve Johnson for a long-overdue fourth goal of the season.
Gresley Rovers (2) 3
Oldbury United (0) 1
Scorers: Acklam 15, Land 25, Smith 86 (Gresley Rovers); Hunt 80 (Oldbury United).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Nuttall, Land, Evans, Minton, Weston, Rathbone Wardle 87), Acklam, Smith, Lovell. Sub not used: Beresford.
Oldbury United: Johnson, Loughran, Lippitt, Bannister, Wakefield, Lampitt (Sorrell 74), East, Brookes, Hill (Willetts 85), Jones, Hunt.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Stuart Evans.
Referee: M J Brandwood (Lichfield).
Attendance: 377
