Gresley Rovers vs Newport AFC
Floored - by bunch of fives - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Good match - bad result was the popular opinion after Gresley Rovers had slumped to their third Beazer Midland home defeat of the season on Saturday.
Rovers skipper Richard Denby summed up the mood in the Moat Ground camp when he said afterwards: "Newport were a good side - but we didn't half give away some silly goals."
Martin Dick's seventh-minute opener was far from silly - in fact it was a stunner, the full back lifting a perfect chip over former Tottenham and Wolves keeper Mark Kendall from 30 yards.
But Newport levelled within a minute, Dave Jarvis touching in Mark Lilygreen's shot after Rovers had failed to clear a corner.
Five minutes later both referee and linesman failed to spot Lilygreen's handball on the edge of the box and while Gresley waited for the whistle the striker turned and netted a low shot.
The action was fast and furious as Robbie Briscoe first shot just wide then crossed for Martin Devaney to force the ball back and Mike Taplin bulged the top of the net from point blank range.
Honours weren't even for long, however, Lilygreen scoring from the penalty spot after Richard Denby's challenge on Mark Price was harshly deemed illegal.
That put Newport's tails well and truly up and they began to dominate after half time, with Bob Aston, who had earlier held Mike Pengelly's full-blooded volley at the foot of the post, forced into an excellent double save from the unattended Price.
Soon after, though, the keeper's poor kick from well outside his area was quickly laid back to Lilygreen's feet and, clearly sensing that everything was going right for him on this particular afternoon, the striker let fly into the roof of the net from 30 yards with Aston still back-pedalling.
It was not Aston's day and he soon handed Newport their fourth - and earned a booking in the process - by felling Jarvis with a mistimed dive at the winger's feet, Lilygreen claiming his fourth of the afternoon from the spot.
To add to Aston's misery he was then hit by a bottle hurled from behind the goal - the Newport supporter responsible claiming the missile had been launched accidentally as he celebrated the goal. That didn't convince the referee who ordered him to be ejected from the ground.
Rovers might have been tempted to accompany him but they stuck around to claim a consolation in the first minute of injury time, Robbie Briscoe dispatching yet another penalty after being felled by Linden Jones.
Gresley Rovers (2) 3
Newport AFC (3) 5
Scorers: Dick 7, Taplin 29, Briscoe 91 (pen) (Gresley Rovers); Jarvis 8, Lilygreen 13, 41 (pen), 64, 75 (pen) (Newport AFC).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Briscoe, Denby, Swainston, Land, Wardle (Weston 67), Marsden, Smith, Taplin (Lovell 79), Devaney.
Newport AFC: Kendall, Jones, Williams, Towler, Brown, Pengelly, Jarvis (Lowndes 79), Price, Green (Charles 69), Lewis, Lilygreen.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Martin Dick.
Referee: F Stretton (West Bridgford).
Attendance: 736
