Barri vs Gresley Rovers
Moatmen just magnificent - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley marvellously and magnificently thrust themselves back into the promotion forefront at St Georges Lane, Worcester, last night with a performance that will be remembered as one of their best of a memorable season.
Trailing to a hotly disputed 24th-minute penalty against their fiercest rivals for a place in the Beazer Premier Division, Rovers seized control with such tenacity and quality in the second half that Barri were left bewitched, bothered and bewildered - and thoroughly beaten.
It was a display in total contrast to Saturday's dismal showing against Leicester United, wrought from a steely determination to make amends for that and a return to the quality football that Gresley made their hallmark earlier in the season but has been so often absent in recent weeks.
Manager Steve Dolby, deprived of top scorer Martin Devaney by a groin strain, gambled on a defensive reshuffle by recalling Gil Land Nathan Foster - and hit the jackpot.
Land, a defensive colossus as Rovers took the best that Barri could muster in the first half, provided the 67th-minute header that finally put his side level after a lengthy siege on the Barri goal.
Then Foster, in probably his best performance yet for Gresley, won the penalty 12 minutes later that Craig Weston despatched for the winner.
Both sides had started as if fully aware of the high stakes, eyeing each other cagily in the opening stages with neither keeper troubled for the first 20 minutes.
Then, in the space of a minute, Weston brought Barri's John Roberts into action with a stretching header from Richard Wardle's cross and Bob Aston clutched Paul Giles' shot after the winger had beaten both Wardle and Foster.
Briefly the tension showed in another way when Scott Elliott and Dave Withers were spoken to by the referee after an off-the-ball tangle, then Barri went ahead.
Andy Beattie burst into the right of Rovers' box after picking up a throw-in and Richard Denby launched a rash challenge that sent the midfielder tumbling theatrically to the sodden turf.
It looked debatable whether Beattie still had control, with the ball appearing to be running out of play, but referee Eillicott had no doubts and pointed straight to the spot despite Rovers protests and the outrage of Gresley's considerable ranks of supporters, Paul Giles firing comfortably past Aston.
Mark Hurst almost provided an instant reply with a header from Dolby's free kick that flew just the wrong side of a post, then the game neared boiling point with several Barri players reacting angrily to Foster's challenge on Beattie, the full back finding his name in the referee's book possibly more as a result of Welsh outrage than the tackle itself.
So Rovers retired for the half time break aggrieved - only to emerge a team transformed. Suddenly Barri were under the cosh as Gresley surged forward in waves forcing a string of free kicks on the edge of the Welshmen's penalty area that gave full sway to Denby's dead ball talents.
Mike Taplin, on for Paul Acklam, hospitalised with a painful arm injury, almost forced in a Weston cross then Denby free kick was cleared from under the bar by Ian Mitchell.
But there was no let up and when Denby slanted in another free kick Land's flashing header diverted the ball past the agonised Roberts and into the net.
Barri briefly threatened to rally but Denby got back to clear Paul Giles' cross from under his own bar before Rovers arrived at their moment of decision.
Denby and Hurst linked on the right and Foster bursting into the penalty area, found the byeline before tumbling under Keith Brown's challenge.
Weston, swathed in bandages after suffering a head wound, kept his cool while referee and goalkeeper argued over the location of the penalty spot, then tucked the ball past Roberts with a minimum of fuss.
It could have been 3-1 if Stuart Evans' crashing header from a Denby corner had not hit a defender of if Roberts had not managed to tip the ball over when Beattie inadvertently headed another Derby free kick towards his own net.
Barri managed just one more threatened moment as the game entered injury time, Paul Giles again threading in a dangerous cross to put Aston under pressure, but the keeper responded with a thrilling double save to ensure there was only one destination for those precious three points.
Barri (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Scorers: P Giles 26 (pen) (Barri); Land 67, Weston 79 (pen) (Gresley Rovers).
Barri: Roberts, John, D Giles, Brown, Batchelor, Blakeney (Morrison 85), P Giles, Mitchell, Hunter (Smith 85), Beattie, Withers.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Foster, Swainston, Denby, Evans, Land, Wardle, Elliott, Acklam (Taplin 45), Weston, Hurst (Dick 94).
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: B P Ellicott (Redditch).
Attendance: 369
