Stourport Swifts vs Gresley Rovers
Rovers missing their killer touch – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers will play far worse than they did at Stourport on Saturday – and win comfortably.
Alas for Rovers and their impressive following, the ruthless streak in front of goal that has stood then in good stead so many times before was, on this occasion, missing.
Manager Frank Northwood complained: “We had 15 chances and scored one, they had five chances and scored three,” and that just about summed up Gresley’s miserable afternoon.
Gresley made all the early chances against second-placed Swifts, Richard Denby seeing a free kick saved at the foot of as post then sending a corner whistling across the face of goal, Paul Acklam heading Neil Lovell’s cross just past a post and Brian Beresford failing by millimetres to make telling contact with Craig Weston’s cross after great approach work by Richard Wardle – and all this against the wind.
Stourport had barely had a sniff of Rovers’ goal when they took the lead after 34 minutes, veteran player-manager Phil Mullen forcing his way past two tackles before hitting a deflected shot that looped high over keeper Simon Harrison and into the net.
Almost immediately, there was a chance to equalise when Denby’s superb ball over the top released Beresford but the striker’s angled shot flew just off target.
There was a strong feeling Gresley could overhaul the deficit with the second half wind at their backs but instead two goals in three minutes wrapped the game up for Stourport.
Mullen instigated the first, breaking from midfield to feed Wayne Brown who teed up Richard Hancox for a stunning cross shot into the bottom corner.
Then Brown robbed John Barry before crossing into a penalty area short on defenders and, though Mullen’s shot was blocked, Hancox drove in the loose ball.
Gresley spent the rest of the game camped in Stourport’s half but keeper Paul Kennan’s goal led a charmed life until Kieron Smith finally headed in Lovell’s cross with 14 minutes to go.
Even then there was time for Stourport substitute Neil Cronin to astonishingly miss two open goals in as many minutes – but Gresley surely deserved no further torture.
Stourport Swifts (1) 3
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: Mullen 34, Hancox 53, 56 (Stourport Swifts); Smith 76 (Gresley Rovers).
Stourport Swifts: Kennan, Clifton, Kerby, Little, Whiston, Parmenter, Brooks (Talbot 23), Lowell, Mullen (Cronin 72), Brown, Hancox.
Gresley Rovers: Harrison, Barry (Smith 59), Dick (Minton 38), Denby, Evans, Land, Wardle, Weston, Acklam, Beresford, Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Wardle.
Referee: L Watson (Coventry).
Attendance: 220
