Gresley Rovers vs Glapwell Miners Welfare
Rovers bring Welfare to their knees - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley boss Steve Dolby - and a healthy pre-season crowd of above 250 - watched Rovers make an encouraging start to their warm up for Beazer Homes League soccer at the Moat Ground last night.
Rovers, permutating 16 players including a string of trialists and new signings, still need to gel into a unit capable of challenging for honours but there were enough eye-catching individual performances to suggest that Dolby is going to have plenty of options.
In midfield, especially, he appears to have a wealth of talent, with recent captures Tony Marsden and Graeme Rigg and trialist Dave Read all making an early impression.
"Things fitted together quite well," said Dolby afterwards. "It was a good start. And with four players still to come back from holiday we've got quite a good depth to the squad."
Latest capture Dave Swainston set up Marsden, his former Grantham team mate, for a 14th minute opener with Craig Weston adding two more before the break.
Glapwell replied through a Dave Waller penalty before Stuart Evans caught keeper Gladwin off his line with a 50-yarder.
Brian Beresford and Paul Acklam headed further goals for Rovers with Waller pulling another back for Glapwell.
For some it was the first chance to see the new "no back pass" rule in operation and that did add a quirky element to the game, that of Glapwell's defenders crouching to knock free kicks to their keeper with their kneecaps.
Doubtless Dolby will be delighted if he has Beazer Homes opponents on their knees so easily this season.
Gresley Rovers (3) 6
Glapwell MW (0) 2
Scorers: Marsden 14, Weston 28, 34, Evans 62, Beresford 70, Acklam 81 (Gresley Rovers); Waller 58, 85 (Glapwell MW)
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Swainston, Marsden, Evans, Dick, Read, Rigg, Acklam, Taplin, Weston. Subs: Lovell, Wardle, Beresford, Greatorex, Rippin.
Glapwell MW: Gladwin, Tansley, Beall, Morris, Ward, Cox, Cutts, Hind, Allan, Waller, Dolby. Subs: Morgan, Burns, Blades, Wilson.
Referee: G Stones (Walton).
Attendance: 250
