Gresley Rovers vs Crewe Alexandra
Burton Mail - Andy Parker
Steve Dolby paraded a string of "will he, won't he" recruits to tantalise Gresley followers at the Moat Ground last night.
Most eye-catching - and surprising - of the four yet unsigned players on parade against a strong Crewe side was striker Dave Taylor, a prolific marksman at Ilkeston Town last season.
Taylor took less than three minutes to make his mark, bursting from deep on the left to fire Rovers in front with an emphatic 15-yard finish with his right foot.
Crewe levelled within a minute when Lee Ellison forced his way through the centre and rounded Bob Aston, and by the 63rd minute the striker had completed his hat trick.
Between times, the 437 crowd had seen much to ponder - and enthuse on.
Summer signing Ady Mann made a twinkling first appearance in a Gresley shirt, pushing and probing on the right of midfield and giving an exciting glimpse of his promise with a breathtakingly precise pass over 25 yards that enabled Graeme Fowkes to force a good, blocking save from Mark Smith.
Former Scarborough trio Stuart Ford, Ady Meyer and Paul Robinson all appeared after the break with Ford replacing Aston, soon producing a good reaction save to push over Rob Edwards' effort and generally performing well enough to suggest he could challenge for Rovers' number one shirt.
Meyer looked solid at the back on a night when Rovers gave a run-out to four central defenders, while Robinson looked a threat up front before fading as players tend to fade in the first pre-season friendly of the summer.
Indeed, Rovers, after a good spell early in the second half during which Graeme Rigg's 58th minute shot deservedly cancelled Ellison's 32nd minute second goal, fell collectively off the pace in the closing stages allowing Crewe, playing their fourth warm-up game, to stroll to victory with late goals from substitutes Mark Rivers and Dele Adebole emphasising their superiority.
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Crewe Alexandra (2) 5
Scorers: Taylor 3, Rigg 58 (Gresley Rovers); Ellison 4, 32, 63, Rivers 84, Adebole 88 (Crewe Alexandra).
Attendance: 437
