Gresley Rovers vs Bridgnorth Town
Woe turned to despair for Gresley Rovers as they crashed to their second consecutive Beazer Midland defeat at the Moat Ground last night.
Rovers' unbeaten start to the season became a distant memory as Bridgnorth took advantage of a hesitant first half performance to inflict mortal damage before the break.
A second half revival counted for little more than nothing as Rovers were exposed to the truths of their new status as one of the teams to beat.
Bridgnorth, their noses well in front thanks to two goals in six minutes just before the interval, ensured that Gresley's best effort to atone for an opening 45 minutes that saw them "back to our West Midlands ways" were not enough to preserve an unbeaten home record in league games stretching back to August 1991.
Manager Steve Dolby complained: "We slipped back into our West Midlands ways, only playing when we got the ball. Any side is going to punish you if you give them time and space and that's what happened tonight."
There was evidence in the opening quarter that Rovers had not been unaffected by Saturday's first defeat of the season at Grantham. An air of anxiety seemed to permeate the side and, as half chances came and went, it was heightened when Town's Ian Jacks flashed a clear opening just wide of the top corner.
Gil Land almost settled the ship with a 25-yard effort that keeper Carl Whitehouse gathered at the second attempt but minutes later Rovers were carved apart by Danny Brookside's unchallenged run from deep and the winger had time to pick his spot after gathering Mark Pound's return pass.
There was more tragedy when Martin Dick's clearance rebounded from an unwitting attacker straight to Pound's feet for a gift-wrapped second goal.
Rovers mounted a second half bombardment but despite pulling a goal back when full back Trevor Beddow turned the ball over his own line as Whitehouse fumbled Craig Weston's cross Bridgnorth were too determined to let go of their prize scalp.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Bridgnorth Town (2) 2
Scorers: Beddow 70 (og) (Gresley Rovers); Brookside 36, Pound 42 (Bridgnorth Town).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick (Swainston 77), Briscoe, Denby, Evans, Land, Wardle, Marsden, Weston, Acklam, Taplin (Smith 61).
Bridgnorth Town: Whitehouse, Beddow, Hammond, Frisby, Wilding, Taylor, Chambers, Tester, Pound, Jacks, Brookside. Subs: Ball, McCauley.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: P S Barston (Loughborough).
Attendance: 624
