Gresley Rovers vs Alveston St Helens
Goals from Geoff Leeson and Paul Raven gave Rovers a thoroughly deserved victory over league leaders Alvaston St Helens at Gresley on the 2nd October 1971.
Alvaston, included ex-Rovers Frank McDonnell and Mickey Thomas in their line-up. We dominated the game from the offset, but the failure to turn their dominance into goals was obvious on several occasions.
Clever play from Roy Perry, Alan Taylor and man-of-the-match Colin Walker tore the St Helens' defence apart many times.
Chance after chance went begging until Leeson hammered a 20-yard free kick into the corner of the net in the 65th minute.
Raven and Francis fired in shots from all angles and Bob Liddle rattled the bar with a strong drive. But, it was not until the 89th minute that Raven made the game safe and the score line more realistic.
It had not been an impressive performance by St Helens, they created little and Slaney was rarely threatened, they looked anything but a top of the table team. To add to their misery full back Frank McDonnell was sent off near the end.
Rovers: Slaney, Fitchett, Perry, A Taylor, Gutteridge, D King, Raven, Liddle, Leeson, Walker, Francis. Sub: G Duggins.
St Helens: Day, McDonnell, Hurst, A Peat, Robinson, Shenton, Wilks, Thomas, Priestley, B Peat, Green. Sub: Duffy.
