Newhall United vs Gresley Rovers
Blow hits goal hero – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley suffered a major blow to their preparations for the Beazer Premier opener at Dorchester on Saturday when striker Paul Acklam limped out of last night’s friendly at the Hawfields.
Acklam had only been on the field for two minutes after coming on as a half time substitute when he stretched to head in Craig Weston’s cross and pulled a thigh muscle. The 32-year-old front-runner was immediately replaced but looks almost certain to miss the Dorchester trip.
The injury put a dampener on a game organised to celebrate the opener of Newhall’s new social club.
A bumper crowd of more than 300 turned up to assess Rovers’ chances of making an impact in their first season in the Beazer top flight – and saw little to impress them in the first half.
Rovers dominated possession against a Newhall side who, to their credit, never stopped trying to play good football against their aristocratic neighbours.
But when Mark Hurst nipped in to head in Richard Denby’s free kick four minutes before half time it was the first time Rovers had put the ball on target in the game.
Two minutes before Blues striker Neil Hall had seen a golden chance to cover himself in glory slip away as the Rovers defence opened up to leave him with just Mark Wheatley to beat the ball appeared to bobble at the vital moment and the keeper made a sprawling save.
There was no further chance of an upset after Acklam’s fateful far post header and fellow substitute David Mead soon made the score 3-0 with another header, this one a spectacular effort from Richard Wardle’s cross.
Newhall bravely kept on battling and finally got their reward when Simon Ganley was left unmarked at the far post from a left wing corner and headed into the top of the net.
Newhall United (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (1) 3
Scorers: Hurst 41, Acklam 47, Mead 50 (Gresley Rovers); Ganley 84 (Newhall United).
Newhall United: Lea, McCormack, Betteridge, Malkin, Lenton, McNeilly, Ganley, Briscoe (Park 72), Elson, Hall, Dent (Steele 75).
Gresley Rovers: (first half) Wheatley, Blount, Elliott, Denby, Stanborough, Land, Wardle, Moore, Marsden, Taplin, Hurst. (second half) Wheatley, Dick, Yeomans, Denby (Holness), Evans, Rigg, Wardle, Mead, Acklam (Galloway 51), Osborne, Weston.
Referee: I Jones (Woodville).
Attendance: 350
