Gresley Rovers vs Hinckley Town
Rovers cut win record - only just - Andy parker - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers equalled a club record of 12 consecutive victories at the Moat Ground on Saturday - but it was a close thing.
In the end it took an 85th-minute header by Mike Taplin - his fourth goal in three games - to despatch a battling Hinckley side that looked like ruining Rovers' perfect Beazer Midland record.
Said Taplin: "I thought it was gong to be one of those games for us. It was very tight and we didn't play our short passing game. It looked very much like ending upv0-0.
"Then Craig Weston knocked a good corner over and I came off a defender an just glanced it into the corner. The pace of the ball did it really."
But while Gresley danced with joy - and not inconsiderable relief - it was pure frustration for Town keeper Dennis Hewitt who had hitherto been a match for anything and everything that Rovers had thrown at him.
He saved superbly when Kieron Smith's left wing cross gave Paul Acklam a fee header eight yards from goal, touched over a rare right-foot effort from Richard Denby just before half time, somehow blocked a Robbie Briscoe piledriver after conceding a "backpass" free kick in the penalty area and then capped the lot by miraculously keeping out Acklam's close range volley.
Rovers had maintained almost constant pressure throughout without looking their real selves. But Hinckley striker Paul Ward spurned a golden chance to send his side in 1-0 up at the interval by heading former Moatman Shaun Hession's cross over from point blank range after his side's only meaningful attack of the half.
Even after Rovers had finally gone ahead Town came within a whisker of snatching a leveller, Hession firing a speculative effort from wide on the left that flew like a bullet just inches over Bob Aston's crossbar.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Hinckley Town (0) 0
Scorer: Taplin 75.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Swainston (Dick 61), Briscoe, Denby, Evans, Land, Wardle, Marsden, Smith (Weston 65), Acklam, Taplin.
Hinckley Town: Hewitt, Symcox, Purser, Taylor, Rowe, Hill, Harriman, Childs, Ward, Denoon, Hession. Subs: Morris, Law.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Paul Acklam.
Referee: E B Compton (Shirley).
Attendance: 604
