Crawley Town vs Gresley Rovers
Dismal one day, dazzling the next, Gresley Rovers are threatening to give a new meaning to the term inconsistency.
Just as Rovers were awful in losing 2-0 to Hednesford at the Moat Ground on Saturday, so they were awesome in their determination to put things right at Town Mead last night.
It seems the Moatmen revel in the role of underdogs. And having gone against the form book at Halesowen, at Sittingbourne, and at Corby, Crawley's was no mean a scalp to add to the collection.
The Sussex side, fourth in the table and five points behind leaders Cheltenham with three games in hand, fancied themselves for a win to step up their championship challenge. Instead, Rovers hoisted themselves out of the relegation zone with a performance based on true grit and opportunism.
On a gluepot of a pitch, cleaned of snow earlier but with pools of water dotted around it, Gresley adapted better than their hosts almost from the off.
While Town tried to defy the elements by playing ball precariously from the back, Rovers used the wind, the sleet and the mud to their best advantage.
Tackles rained in with Martin Dick and Graeme Rigg largely quelling the wing menace of Steve Payne and Jimmy Dack. And with Ian Straw adding solitary to midfield on his full debut, Rovers survived a heavy opening quarter and never looked seriously troubled again.
When Payne escaped Rigg to give Robbie Carroll a close range heading chance, Bob Aston produced the first of a string of imperious saves tipping the ball to safety.
Carvell pinged in a shot against the bar from Paul Fishenden's flick on, but Rovers gradually tamed Town's early fire and on 22 minutes grabbed the vital goal on which their victory was built.
Mark Hurst was the creator, picking up Tony Marsden's throw in on the left and cleverly making space for Martin Devaney to sidefoot home from 10 yards.
Minutes later it was almost 2-0, Hurst firing in an angled drive from Richard Denby's headed pass and the ball fizzing just wide with Colin Caufield beaten.
Crawley responded with a spell of pressure but with Rigg and Dick now in control of the flanks, Nick Stanborough taming Fishenden and Stuart Evans using his pace and timing to excellent effect Aston remained untroubled.
The home fans' pledge that "We play better in the second half" seemed to ring true as Carvell brought a good save from Aston after slipping past Dick, then Dave Shepherd picked up on Evans' miscued header only for Stanborough to fling himself in the path of the midfielder's shot.
Town's pressure was remorseless but there was no way through even when Steve Payne made a perfect contact with a searing drive from 25 yards. Aston stretching low to his right to push the ball away from the bottom corner.
The save drew Town's sting and Aston was not seriously troubled again although the keeper and Stanborough almost ludicrously handed Crawley an equaliser when each left the ball to each other, Dick leaping in to clear the danger as substitute Joff Vansittart seemed poised to profit.
Crawley Town (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Scorer: Devaney 22
Crawley Town: Caulfield, Ford, Turner, Hemsley, Vessey, Jeffery, Payne, Carroll (Vansttart 68), Fishenden, Sheperd, Dack
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Rigg, Loss, Stanborough, Evans, Straw, Denby, Devaney, Hurst (Moore 61), Marsden
Gresley man-of-the-match: Stuart Evans
Referee: P M Isaacs (Oxford)
Attendance: 684
