UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground
Saturday, 28th August 2004, 3.00pm
Super sub grabs the points
The game started with the visitor's making the first chance on 7 minutes but Gresley keeper Dale Belford was equal to the task and comfortably held a shot from Alvin Riley.
A minute later Gresley could have taken the lead with Sean Gummer made a fine run down the right before sending in a cross that was only cleared as far as Andy Simpson. Simpson hit a ferocious first time volley from 20 yards that beat Steels keeper Richard Sidall before crashing off the bar.
On 18 minutes a corner taken by Karl Brown found Jamie Barrett who flicked the ball on to Jamie Hood but Sidall diving to his left caught his header.
Barrett was involved only minutes later when he controlled a superb through ball from Hood before firing a shot from just inside the area that was well blocked by the keeper.
Steels then went close to breaking the deadlock on 26 minutes when Riley put a shot well wide when very well placed after receiving Duncan Richards pass.
With four minutes of the first half remaining Gresley were unlucky when a terrific cross-field pass from Gary White found Gummer racing at full tilt towards the area. Without breaking his stride he hit a thunderous volley that hit the junction of bar and post leaving Sidall a mere spectator.
Manager Gary Norton made a change at the break bringing on Emeka Ejiofor for Liam Hebberd.
Gresley were still applying the pressure but could not make the breakthrough against a side looking for a point and having 10 men behind the ball for most of the second period.
Norton was forced to make a further change on 62 minutes bringing on Ashley Dodd for the injured Richard Wardle and the substitute was soon in the action just four minutes later when his pass sent Barrett on his way down the right. Barrett's cross found Ejiofor but his shot was blocked.
Aaron O'Connor replaced Gummer on 68 minutes as Gresley still tried to find a way through some stubborn defending.
On 70 minutes Brown found himself with a view of goal but the ball was taken off his toe as he prepared to let fly.
O'Connor, who had been on the park just two minutes, finally unlocked the Steel's defence. As a high cross from White floated into the area, Steel's keeper Sidall came for the ball but completely missed it under pressure from Matt Smith and the ball found O'Connor who still had to make sure and he did by looping his header over a defender and into the net, much to the relief of the home supporters.
If the home supporters thought Stocksbridge would now capitulate like Paula Radcliffe after putting up a sterling effort, they were in for a surprise. The visitors could have got back into the game with two final chances. The first on 85 minutes when substitute Richard Byrne put a shot across the face of goal and then in time added on when Andy Ring's stinging shot was well saved by Belford down by the foot of the near post.
Manager's View
"I thought we were unlucky when we hit the post and then the crossbar in the first half from long range efforts. We got quality in the box just weren't in the right place at the right time and it looked like it was going to be one of those afternoons were you create lots of little bits and half chances.
"We played very, very well and dominated the game but were we going to get the breakthrough? I changed things around a little bit because I felt first half we were playing superbly well but it wasn't quite sticking upfront. Liam Hebberd looked a little bit off his usual standard and the type of football we were playing their centre halves were dealing with a lot of the arial stuff. We have a bench with options so I put Emeka Ejiofor because his physical presence helped us get a little more up front.
"Sean Gummer was playing superbly well getting balls into the box but I just wanted to change it round a bit. We've got players with the strength and depth like Aaron O'Connor so I put him on and two minutes later he scored the winner. Sometimes things like that - I'm not taking the plaudits for that. I took a quality player off and put a quality player on and that's the squad we've got this year.
"It was nice to get a victory; it was even nicer to get a clean sheet because it's been a long time coming and to nine points out of nine - I'm delighted.
"In fairness to the lads they plugging away. The main theme of my talk at half time was, although we'd dominated the game, not to go and force the game. Rossendale, I felt, did that when we were down to nine men and I didn't want us to do that even though we had long spells of possession. It'll be interesting to see the game stats - but I didn't want us to start chucking balls up front, I wanted us to get the ball down and play.
"We did have a couple of close shaves because they were always going to get a couple of opportunities - my heart was in my mouth when Gary White gambled and just missed it and their guy put the ball wide. Apart from that they only had two or three clear cut opportunities in the game were we must have had seven or eight and I think we deserved victory in the end.
"Stocksbridge have had a couple of tough games Kendal up in Cumbria and then Ilkeston at home losing one and drawing the other and I thought they came here to set up for a point using negative tactics - long periods of the game having ten men behind the ball.
"The sponsors gave the man-of-the-match to Andy Simpson who's done a tremendous job. Jamie Hood has been fantastic at the back with Matt Smith and the whole back four and Dale Belford deserved a clean sheet.
"I'm not getting too carried away at the moment because things can change quickly so I'm enjoying it while I can."
