Gresley Rovers vs Gloucester City
Gresley Rovers were hoping to shake the effects of last Saturday's defeat out of their system but it was not to be as Gloucester City stole all three points at the Moat Ground.
On 10 minutes Jamie Barrett showed how unsure the Tigers' keeper seemed to be when his shot was only just grabbed by Matt Bath before it went past him.
Two minutes later Bath was again in a flap as he palmed a cross from Laurence Hall away as Gresley took control of the first half.
On 19 minutes a great ball from Gareth Holmes found Leon Doughty but he could only put his shot wide of the target.
Six minutes later after some good inter-play between the Gresley players ended with Steve Lenagh putting a header just wide.
Lenagh went close again on 33 minutes but this time the striker blazed his shot over the bar again after some fine work down the right flank.
Holmes went close but put his shot wide as the half finished with Gresley well on top.
With a minute of the restart there was what could only be described as a comedy of errors as two Gloucester players failed to connect with the ball in the Gresley area with the biggest culprit being Andy Hoskins who amazingly put his shot wide when only a yard from goal.
More fouls were beginning to creep into the game and on 50 minutes Hall was cynically hauled down Neil Griffiths as he left the defender for dead.
Gloucester were fortunate to take the lead on 55 minutes against the run of play. Gresley's striker Lenagh had clearly been pulled back by a Gloucester player in the visitor's half and the game seemed to stop waiting for the referees whistle that was sure to come, but, to everyone's amazement the official saw nothing of the incident and play swept down to the other end where Hoskins, making up for his earlier howler, was waiting to put his close-range header, from a Jimmy Cox cross, past Dale Belford.
Things went from bad to worse on 61 minutes when Belford was sent off for the first time in his illustrious non-league career.
No one could argue with the referee's decision. Belford had come out of his area looking to head a high ball away from danger but, his team mate Matt Smith got his head on the ball first and the ball flew over Belford's head. He reacted in a way most keepers would have done in the same circumstance and grabbed the ball only to find himself a yard out of the penalty area.
With no keeper on the bench, Barrett volunteered to take over the keeper's jersey. And from the resultant free kick Gloucester doubled their lead.
Keith Knight's shot was only parried by Barrett and the ball fell kindly for Marvin Thompson who slotted the ball home.
To Gresley's credit they did not give up and continued to look for the goal their play deserved.
On 76 minutes a tremendous shot from Gary White was deflected on it's way to goal and cannoned back off the post.
However, on 86 minutes a goal did arrive for Gresley. Lenagh, being harried by two Gloucester defenders had somehow managed to get in a superb cross from the right. Hall met the ball with a header that looped over the static Bath and into the net at the far post.
The final four minutes was all Gresley but Lady Luck was not on their side and Gloucester went home with three undeserved points.
Gary's views on the game
"Whoever said that football was a beautiful game wants shooting because it doesn't feel beautiful at the moment. It feels like we've been kicked in the teeth to be honest.
"I could not have asked for a better response after the first 45 minutes which I thought we did fantastic. We dictated the pace and created most of the chances and I felt that at half time we were playing superbly well. But, at nil – nil I felt we should have nicked things while we were on top and got a goal but it wasn't to be.
"At the half time break I told them to keep going and after the disappointment of the last two games it was really, really positive and if we'd have kept that up in the second half we'd have gone on and won the game.
"Second half we started brightly except for giving yet another chance away from one of our goal kicks. But we went on from that and had a good little spell for five or six seconds.
"We tried something ambitious down the right, it broke down and seconds later the ball is in our net and we're chasing the game.
"Having said that, we weren’t panicking we left things as they were and I felt that we could get back into the game. But, to concede a man in the way we did. It was just a mix up; these things happen. Dale said he called for the ball, which I thought he was favourite because he was coming on to it, but Matt got something on it and Dale reacted as any keeper would and put his hands up. Unfortunately he was out of the area so there is no argument with the decision whatsoever and it was a red card.
"To be fair to Jamie Barrett, who isn't a keeper, he was brave and volunteered to go in goal and if we'd have managed to defend that free kick and keep it at one-nil we were still in with a shout.
"The second goal killed us. But having said that I'm very, very proud of the commitment that the lads put in the last half hour or so. We had to take risks and we pushed men forward. It didn't help when I was forced into two substitutions. Andy Cheetham and Leigh Everitt coming off with injuries that mean they are doubtful for the game on Saturday. Andy's got a tight groin and Leigh took a nasty bang on the knee.
"With a little bit more luck things might have come off. A ball came off their keeper and I'm a little disappointed that our forwards didn't react. Then we got a great goal out of nothing. Steve Lenagh stuck in a great cross and Laurence Hall got his header.
"I thought Laurence did well tonight and it was a big improvement from Saturday. He's got to know the lads and he's comfortable now and he's shown some signs today of what he's got to offer.
"To be fair we gave it a go. We didn't create anything after that but at 2-1 the lads kept going and Gloucester had a tough last ten minutes
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Gloucester City (0) 2
Scorers: Hall 86 (Gresley Rovers); Hoskins 55, M Thompson 64 (Gloucester City).
Gresley Rovers: Belford
, Everitt (Alexander 67), Cheetham (Wardle 67), M Smith, Hood
, Holmes, Doughty (Sylla 74), Barrett, Hall, Lenagh, White. Subs not used: Slater, Liburd.
Gloucester City: Bath, L Smith, Harris (Hemming 80), Groffiths, M Thompson, C Thompson, Mustoe, Cox (Davis 90), Knight, Hoskins, Wilkinson. Subs not used: Burns, Bayliss.
Rovers Star Man: Gareth Holmes – worked hard in midfield.
Referee: S Castle (Wolverhampton).
Attendance: 326
