Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Bedworth United
Manager Gary Norton had predicted a "tough" battle as Gresley Rovers entertained Bedworth United in a re-arranged fixture.
And so it proved to be with Gary White having to be carried off the pitch after an atrocious two-footed tackle from Scott Hadland that saw the Bedworth player substituted for the second half by his manager.
Gresley's first chance came after 6 minutes when they were awarded a free kick taken by White but the resultant header went straight into the arms of Gary Hately.
Five minutes later a ball into the visitor's goal area seemed to cause some panic until it was cleared to safety.
Bedworth went close on 13 minutes when striker Anthony Roberts hit a terrific shot from the edge of the penalty area that whistled just by the post.
Gresley got the lead their pressure had deserved on 17 minutes. Some fine play between Andy Cheetham and Steve Lenagh ended with a ball out to White who left two Bedworth defenders for dead before sending in a cross across the goal mouth that left Hately and a defender looking at each other as Leon Doughty, waiting at the far post, knocked in his first goal for Gresley.
Six minutes later Doughty could have doubled his tally when he ran on to a superb through ball by Carl Slater but unfortunately his first time shot hit the side netting.
On 25 minutes a free kick on the right from White was fumbled by Hately but he managed to recover before more damage was done.
Belford, who'd largely been a spectator for most of the first half, was called into action on 28 minutes. Kevin Charley got onto the end of a ball when looking suspiciously offside and hit a looping shot goalwards and Belford pulled of a great save to tip the ball over the bar.
On 30 minutes the first of two penalty appeals was waved away by the referee when Lenagh appeared to have been pulled back in the area by James Richardson but the referee waved play on.
The game was beginning to get a little tetchy as some choice tackles flew in from the Bedworth side and as a result of one tackle Hadland got a deserved yellow card. The midfielder should have got his marching orders towards the end of the half when he fouled White but amazingly the referee chose not to even speak to the player that caused the Gresley midfielder to be carried off the pitch.
Both sides made a change at half time Gresley due to White's injury bringing on Liam Hebbard as his replacement and Bedworth replacing the very fortunate Hadland with Darren Brushett.
Gresley started the second period were they'd left off pushing Bedworth back and within a minute of the restart a blistering shot from the impressive Jamie Barrett went just over the bar.
Two minutes later a very short backpass by Danny Hollywood almost gifted Gresley their second goal but Hately did well to reach the ball fractionally before the onrushing Shaun Harrad.
There was only one team in it now and on 51 minutes the home side went close again when a Doughty flag kick found Matt Smith but the defender's downward header was cleared off the line and Harrad hammered the rebound over the bar.
It wasn't long before Gresley got their second goal – and what a goal it was. On 63 minutes Gresley were awarded a free kick on the right side of the penalty area which was whipped in by Doughty and as the ball, only a couple of feet or so off the ground, looked to be going out for a goal kick Barrett bravely dived full length between two defenders and headed the ball home.
Four minutes later the other penalty shout occurred. Lenagh was trying to turn with the ball in the Bedworth area and was blatantly dragged down by a defender and again, much to the annoyance of the crowd behind the goal, the referee chose to ignore the appeal.
Bedworth made a rare attempt on goal when Robinson tried an ambitious overhead kick that didn't come off and the ball fell to Martin Crowley whose shot threatened the houses in Church Street rather than Belford's goal as it soared skywards.
On 80 minutes Gresley were awarded another free kick this taken by Harrad but his shot was deflected for a corner.
Six minutes later a superb run by Andy Cheetham down the left flank ended with a pass to substitute Neil Kitching who turned and hit a thunderous goal bound shot that took a deflection and went out for a corner.
Matt Moran, another substitute, than went close to increasing the lead but after cleverly controlling the ball from Hebberd was unlucky as he put his shot just wide of the far post.
Then with only seconds remaining of normal time a Moran run up the right ended with a pass to Kitching who again hit a stinging shot that the keeper did extremely well to tip over the bar.
Gary's view of the game
"I'm very pleased that we've kept the run going. That's the whole of September unbeaten in the league.
"Even more pleasing was another clean sheet, the second on the trot. The lads have really had to battle today. I went to watch Bedworth in the week and realised that their main danger was from set plays but we gave away a few silly free kicks.
"Their movement in the box was good but I don't think they had a clear cut opportunity on goal which was pleasing against a "very physical side". I couldn't believe some of the tackles that were going in and it's resulted in Gary White picking up a nasty injury.
"To be fair to their manager Billy Hollywood took their No8 off before he got sent off because he wouldn't have got through another 45 minutes.
"It got a bit heated in the first half and we said to the players that this would be a good test for us because we can play football and that's been evident in the last few weeks. But, we needed to show resilience like we did at Solihull and I was really, really pleased with our discipline and resilience in the second half.
"The second goal was always going to kill it. We had quite a few near things and I thought it was going to be one of those days we couldn't get the second goal and they would battle away and with their hard work get something out of the game – so the second goal was brilliant and I think we should have got one or two more.
"I thought Jamie Barrett deserved to win man-of-the-match because he was outstanding again. He's really making that shirt his own.
"Leon Doughty took his chance well and scored a good goal which was very pleasing because he'd only played 10 minutes here and there before today.
"To take three points and keep a clean sheet – I'm delighted.
" After the Solihull game I told them to keep their feet on the ground so it took us a little while to get going but the workrate was there. I don't think we got out of second gear in the first 15 – 20 minutes. Even at halftime I said there was more to come; there was another gear to go. They were winning more second balls and I don't think our workrate was quite on a par with the other night.
"I asked them at half time, 'are we going to be a notorious Gresley side that can't kill a game off or are we going to kick on a gear'.
"I still don't think we reached top gear today but we did improve in the second half. We dominated in midfield; we got at them a little bit more and with a little bit more luck in front of goal we could have wrapped the game up a bit earlier.
"We've still got a lot of things to work on and people need to remember that we have got six or seven new players and they've only played three or four games together.
"When you look at the chances that went begging at the end 3 or 4 nil would not have been an unfair result."
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Bedworth United (0) 0
Scorers: Doughty 17, Barrett 63.
Gresley Rovers: Belford, Everett, Cheetham, Smith, Haynes, Barrett
, Doughty, Slater (Moran 85), Harrad, Lenagh (Kitching 79), G White (Hebberd 45). Subs not used: Branch, Wardle.
Bedworth United: Hately, Lavery (Philips 84), Crowley (Abercrombie 73), Hollywood, Richardson, Hood, Storer, Hadland (Brushnett 45), Robinson, Charley, Massingham. Subs not used: Scott, Guiney.
Rovers Star Man: Jamie Barrett – superb in midfield and a terrific goal.
Referee: D Adcock (Long Eaton).
Attendance: 377
