Weston-super-Mare vs Gresley Rovers
Devaney is the saviour but Dolby's left fuming - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Martin Devaney's late, late leveller gave Gresley Rovers a thoroughly deserved point at Woodspring Park on Saturday - but failed to quell the ire of manager Steve Dolby.
Dolby's resolve to change his defensive line-up for Wednesday's Barclay's Southern League Cup tie at Sutton - a plan he revealed before Saturday's game - was stiffened after seeing his team produce another disappointing defensive display in bog-like conditions.
Twice Rovers led in the first half only to trail at the interval and fall behind again after pulling the scores level early in the second.
After that it took a tremendous effort in the worst conditions imaginable to finally wrench a point from the mud with a goal in injury time.
It had all started so well with Robbie Briscoe brilliantly curling a shot into the top corner from wide on the right after just 58 seconds after Richard Wardle's determined run had made the chance.
Weston levelled when full back Russ Priest picked up Richard Denby's clearance in the centre circle, punted the ball over a crowd of players and dashed through to slip it beneath Bob Aston.
Within seconds Gresley were back in front, Briscoe's 22-yard shot slipping through keeper Glenn Thomas's hands, but Weston levelled again when striker Phil Shrimpton headed home after his side's first corner of the game.
Ten minutes later Aston could only get a fingertip to defender Jon Bowering's header after a left wing move and that was not enough to keep the ball from trickling into the net.
Now it was Rovers' turn to come from behind, Kieron Smith firing home from 15-yards nine minutes after the restart after Devaney had teed up Wardle's cross.
But within four minutes they trailed again, home skipper Alan Hooker firing beneath Aston's dive from a right wing cross.
Weston clearly decided to shut up shot at this point but a combination of the appalling conditions and a nine-man defence failed to sap Rovers' will. As the minutes ticked away they mounted what became an almost non-stop barrage with Briscoe twice firing free kicks just over, Denby seeing two efforts blocked and substitute Craig Weston firing a cross shot just wide and Wardle finally beating the keeper with a lofted drive that came back off the bar.
Just as it seemed Rovers 150-mile journey was to be un-rewarded Denby's cross fell to the feet of Devaney and the striker joyously forced the ball home from close range to provide a fitting climax to Gresley's Herculean second half effort.
Weston-super-Mare (3) 4
Gresley Rovers (2) 3
Scorers: Priest 21, Shrimpton 31, Bowering 41, Hooker 58 (Weston-super-Mare); Briscoe 1, 22, Smith, Devaney 91 (Gresley Rovers).
Weston-super-Mare: Thomas, Lucas (Boulton 42), Priest, Tatterton, Bowering, Rogers, Hooker, Stearnes, Lazenby, Shrimpton, Payne. Sub not used: Adams.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick (Weston 74), Swainston, Denby, Evans, Land (Elliott 67), Wardle, Marsden, Smith, Devaney, Briscoe.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: M Dexter (Leicester).
Attendance: 378
