Gresley Rovers vs Barri
Business as usual for Moatmen - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers banished all memories of the previous week's FA Cup drubbing to produce another thrilling league victory at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
Welsh exiles Barri arrived in South Derbyshire with the league's best defensive record - but that was left in tatters as Rovers powered to yet another highly impressive victory.
Delighted boss Steve Dolby put the win in perspective when he pointed out: "We've scored more goals against them today than other teams have managed in five games so far this season."
The visitors certainly looked the part in the opening quarter, denying Rovers space and compressing play into a midfield battle zone from which they emerged more frequently and more threateningly.
But after lanky defender Willie Batchelor had headed a great opportunity wide Rovers seized the initiative.
Craig Weston began to find space to tease and taunt the Barri defence and, after freeing Paul Acklam for a cross that almost provided Tony Marsden with a goal - keeper Jon Roberts keeping out his close range header with an excellent sprawling save - he turned the defender on the edge of the box but shot wide.
It was effervescent midfielder Richard Wardle who provided the breakthrough, volleying into the bottom corner from 18 yards moments before half time after Marsden's cross was only half cleared.
The pair combined again for Rovers' second on 68 minutes, Weston again providing the opening with a superb run past a string of defenders.
Marsden crossed far post from the left and Wardle's miss-hit volley fell perfectly for Acklam to steer home an instinctive header.
Mike Taplin replaced Acklam and then provided Rovers' third, bursting clear onto Robbie Briscoe's pass and holding off a defender before rounding the keeper and firing in a low shot that the back-pedalling Keith Brown could only help into the net.
A late header by Lance Morrison spoiled Rovers' hopes of a clean sheet but that hardly took the shine off a win that keeps them sitting pretty at the top of the league.
Gresley Rovers (1) 3
Barri (0) 1
Scorers: Wardle 45, Acklam 68, Taplin (Gresley Rovers); Morrison 92 (Barri).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Briscoe, Denby, Evans, Land, Wardle, Marsden (Swainston 82), K Smith, Acklam (Taplin 76), Weston.
Barri: Roberts, Jukes, Knight, Brown, Batchelor, Withers, Giles, Mitchell, Hunter, John, Morrison. Subs: Lander, R Smith.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Wardle.
Referee: R J Olivier (Sutton Coldfield).
Attendance: 521
