Unibond League Division One
The Moat Ground
Saturday, 21st August 2004, 3.00pm
Opening day win for Rovers
Gresley Rovers needed to come back from a goal down at the interval to grab all three points in their first ever UniBond Division One league game.
This was Gresley's first victory on opening day since their 5-2 drubbing of Yate Town back in the 1999-2000 season.
Gresley started the better of the two sides and were soon testing the visiting defence but it was Ossett Albion who went closest to opening the score when Daniel Toronczak fired narrowly over after just 8 minutes.
The home side responded three minutes later when debutant Karl Brown's cross from the left side was met by Jamie Hood whose header looped over the beaten Andrew Carney before bouncing off the top of the bar.
On 15 minutes a cross from Justin Rowe had to be hurriedly cleared over the bar by an Albion defender before a Gresley player could get a touch.
Five minutes later Albion had a chance when a free kick from Stuart Baldwin found the impressive Stephen Downes on the left who in turn sent in a whipped cross that found Michael Norbury who powered in a header that whistle over the bar.
Albion should have taken the lead on 25 minutes when Richard Wardle appeared to get the ball stuck under his foot when attempting a backpass to Gresley keeper Dale Belford. This allowed Norbury a clear run in on goal but he scuffed his shot wide of the target with only Belford to beat.
The visitors did get on the scoresheet on 35 minutes and it was a defensive lapse again. Defender Matt Smith's header lacked the power to clear any danger and the ball was soon back in the danger area. Gary White, now out of position, failed to cut out the through ball for Downes whose cross gave an easy tap in for Toronczack.
Gresley could have got back on terms almost immediately but Jamie Barrett just could not reach the Liam Hebberd cross after some excellent work from both Sean Gummer and Ashley Dodd.
Manager Gary Norton needed to weave some magic in his halftime team talk of Mary Poppins sized proportions to get his side to dig in and come back into the game
Whatever was said worked because the home side came out meaning business and were soon on the attack in the second half and on 51 minutes a superb cross from Brown was headed just over by Hebberd.
Two minutes later, however, Gresley did get back on terms. Rowe did very well to direct the ball to Brown whose first time shot past the dive of Carney seemed to be heading wide of the mark but ended up in the bottom corner.
Rowe was in the thick of the action again for the second goal just four minutes later when he worked hard to win the ball off Albion defender Gareth Dodd before sending in the cross that enabled Hebberd to hammer in what proved to be the eventual winner.
Gresley were now taking control of the game and with every attack was putting Albion's defence under pressure. On the hour Gummer sent in a cross that Hebberd put just over the bar and five minutes later White was doing the same.
On 72 minutes Norton brought Emeka Ejiofor on in place of Hebberd and the striker was soon in action. His fine through ball let Gummer race in on goal but Carney was very quick to see the danger and raced off his line to snuff out the danger.
The home side were, however, indebted to some fine goal keeping from Belford who in the last two minutes pulled off some fine saves to preserve all three points.
Manager's View
"We turned is around in the second half. It's hard to be critical of the first half performance because footballing wise we were the better side in the first half and we just got caught when we just switched off.
"A lot of their good stuff came through their number 9 & 10 aerially and their midfield was picking up bits and bobs and they did get behind us a couple of times. The goal came from a similar situation when the Matt Smith did not get a good connection on the header and the ball went to them and Gary White was caught out of position and they got behind us and walked the ball into the net.
"It was unfortunate because I felt for long periods in the first half we were in control and played some of our best football and I'm delighted with our performance today.
"It's been a feature of our pre-season that we've given goals away and we almost did the same today when the ball got stuck under Richard Wardle's foot allowing their man in but Richard held his hands up to that at half time and it didn't cost us today.
"Second half I thought we defended very resolutely but going forward I felt we should have had, maybe, another couple of goals - we looked very good.
"I said to Justin at halftime that we just hadn't got the ball into him because his strength is having the ball into feet and rolling the defenders and running at defenders but we didn't give him that sort of service in the first half. We talked about how we could get the ball to him and it was his cross in the second half that got us the goal and then he was on fire for the next fifteen minutes or so and he scared their defenders to death.
"It wasn't a surprise to me that Karl Brown got on the scoresheet because in the first half he got into some fantastic positions on the left hand side and he's a quality player and I was delighted when he nicked his goal.
"Liam Hebberd was superb today - he's been one of the bonuses of the pre-season. He had a bad break last year with his ankle injury around Christmas time but he came back towards the end of the season looking a completely different player. He's carried that on in pre-season and he fully justified his selection today and deserved his goal.
"Emeka Ejiofor came on and caused them a lot of problems. He was going to play for the reserves today because he's still short of match fitness and when he's fully fit we're going to have great options up front.
"Ashley Dodd knitted things together nicely in midfield and that's exactly why we wanted him in all honesty. He sat there and picked up bits and bobs, he got us going and he had a superb game without being noticed. He was very efficient in their kept our shape and also broke a lot of things up defensively complemented very well by Jamie Barrett who had a good game.
"You can see why I made Matt Smith captain. He led well; he talked well; he encouraged and kept going for the ninety minutes. Dale Belford made a couple of fantastic saves at the end of the game.
"We needed something from today's game and I'm delighted that it was three points and I'm really, really pleased for everybody involved - they deserve it. There is a pressure of expectation at the club and I've said in previous interviews in pre-season that it all about August 21st - it is August 21st now and we've got three points and I'm delighted!"
