Gresley Rovers vs Racing Club Warwick
Spot of joy for Swainston - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Dave Swainston coolly fired Gresley's winner at the Moat Ground on Saturday then revealed: "That was the first time I've ever taken a penalty - but I just fancied it."
The full back converted from the 12-yard spot after Rovers skipper Richard Denby had gone down under keeper Neil Stephenson's challenge, climaxing a stop-start Gresley performance.
Said Swainston: "They made it hard for us and it was very frustrating. Whenever they made a mistake at the back there was someone there to cover for it. It's easier when teams come at us a bit but they always kept plenty of men behind the ball.
"In those games the lads up front have to make their own chances and we did well to put three past them because they don't concede that many goals. It must have been frustrating for them to score twice and come away with nothing because they don't score that many either."
The Moatmen laid siege to the Racing Club goal in the opening quarter but, for all their pressure, could not put a shot on target to test Stephenson.
Paul Acklam sidefooted Craig Weston's comfortably delivered cross past a post as early as the first minute then, as Rovers opened up the Warwick defence seemingly at will, curled a shot just wide of a post after Toney Marsden, making an early impact in midfield after his long injury lay-off, laid a Denby corner onto his path.
Martin Devaney sent a spectacular header onto the roof of the net then set up Marsden for a blistering effort that singed the paintwork on the Racing Club crossbar and even when Wardle's pinpoint cross found Acklam in space at the far post a goal would not come, Stephenson getting a fingertip to the striker's header to send the ball along the line and out for a corner.
Gradually the game degenerated into a scrappy affair and there was almost a sense of inevitability when, from Warwick's first corner of the half, Brendan O'Hare was given time and space at the near post to plant a routine header past Bob Aston from the six-yard line.
That stung Rovers into an immediate response and Denby's perfectly flighted free kick from the left was at last put on target by Acklam with a far post header.
Still Rovers could not find their rhythm after the break and enjoyed a sizeable let-off when Morton Titterton waltzed past two defenders in the area before shooting against a post.
Said manager Steve Dolby afterwards: "If that had gone in we would have lost. Instead the Moat Ground breathed again and Weston saw a shot cleared off the line before Rovers went decisively ahead, Acklam forcing the ball home from close range despite being pulled back by Donny Gethfield after Devaney had flicked on Weston's cross.
It seemed all over after Swainston took over the substituted Weston's penalty-taking job with five minutes left but Rovers had another scare in injury time when Alan Evans charged down the full back's clearance and hit a stunning volley that Aston did well to get a hand to as it made its way into the top corner.
Gresley Rovers (1) 3
RC Warwick (1) 2
Scorers: Acklam 44, 77, Swainston 85 (pen) (Gresley Rovers); O'Hare 41, A Evans 91 (RC Warwick).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Swainston, Denby, S Evans, Land, Wardle, Marsden (Hurst 60), Acklam, Devaney, Weston (Elliott 82).
Racing Club Warwick: Stephenson, Shaw (Sockett 87), Scrimshire, Flavell (Fitzhugh 82), Derby, Gethfield, O'Hare, Titterton, A Evans, Hodgkins, Whitehouse.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: D J Soloman (Cannock).
Attendance: 683
