Gresley Rovers vs Westfields
Minton is villain and hero – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley boss Frank Northwood tore a strip off new boy Jason Minton after the defender’s early blunder gave no hopers Westfields something to battle for at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
Minton carelessly turned a routine backpass wide of keeper Bob Aston and over the line in the fourth minute to give the Herefordshire side – shorn of six regular first teamers by injury – a shock lead.
Astonishingly, it then took Rovers 50 minutes to level and only late goals by Neil Lovell and substitute Craig Weston gave the West Midlands League leaders respectability.
Northwood stormed afterwards: “OK, Minton got the goal that put us in front but it’s no good him scoring every week if he’s going to give goals away. We don’t want pressure like that. The whole team got a roasting at half time again – although it all came right in the end.”
Such was Rovers’ control after their early setback that Westfields were denied even a decent shot at goal until the final stages, but before the break Gresley couldn’t hit the target with Brian Beresford, Paul Acklam, Kieron Smith and Richard Wardle all seeing good chances coming to nothing.
Master poacher Beresford finally put things right when he got the faintest touch to John Barry’s excellent cross. Then Minton made amends for his own goal by heading another Barry cross firmly past Jarrod Clay.
Lovell despatched a Weston cross from a tight angle to seal the points then the roles were reversed as the substitute was given time and space from Lovell’s cross to crash home the fourth goal.
Gresley Rovers (0) 4
Westfields (1) 1
Scorers: Beresford 54, Minton 59, Lovell 83, Weston 85 (Gresley Rovers); Minton 4 (og) (Westfields).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Nuttall, Denby, Evans, Minton, Wardle (Weston 68), Smith, Acklam (Land 71), Beresford, Lovell.
Westfields: Clay, Preece, Rivett, Corner, Irvine, Emery, Taylor, Higgins, Dallow (Bevan 76), Leigh, Sykes. Sub not used: Rock.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Brian Berefsord.
Referee: M Fletcher (Warley).
Attendance: 405
