Gresley Rovers vs Burton Albion
Not So Friendly At Moat Ground - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
An entertaining and eventful pre-season 'friendly' between Burton and South Derbyshire's two great soccer rivals gave both sets of fans plenty of food for thought at the Moat Ground.
Buton boss Nigel Clough's greatest unease will be over an indecisive defensive performance that presented hosts Gresley with a hatful of chances,especially in the opening quarter of the game.
Rovers counterpart Brian Kenning, meanwhile, will remain concerned about his team's inability to convert more than a small fraction of the chances that came their way.
Burton looked decidedly dodgy at the back early on and Rovers striker Dave King missed two good chances in the opening six minutes to put his side ahead, firing wide after Adie Doughty's third minute effort had been blocked and then volleying over after Matt Boyles had taken advantage of a slip by triallist Carl Bacon to set up the chance.
Poor defending by Gresley then presented Albion with a 12th minute lead. Aaron Webster and Gary Crosby linked well to set up a right wing opening with Ian Bluck clearing needlessly for a corner. Webster aimed his flag kick towards the far post where former Rover Mark Blount, one of two Albion players left unmarked, headed in unchallenged.
Rovers were an inch away from an equaliser when Boyles, infuential early on, released King through the centre with a slck first time pass. This time King's powerful drive flew past keeper Nick Goodwin only to crash against the inside of a post and rebound across goal and away.
Rovers continued to peg away in search of an equaliser with King firing wide from a sharp chance again created by Boyles and Goodwin tipping over Matt Warren's header from Mark Peters' corner.
Gresley then suffered a further setback when Clough's inch-perfect pass released Webster in the inside left channel only for keeper Ian Wright, racing from his line, to inelegantly ground the young striker just outside the box.
In a league game a red card would have been inevitable but, in keeping with the unwritten rules of pre-season games, referee Ray Gould instead ordered Wright be sustituted to give 15 yr old youth team keeper Simon Baldwin a chance he was not to spurn.
Baldwin was soon in action, scrambling away Andy Garner's free-kick from the foot of a post, but it seemed the youngster might be in for a torrid time as Burton's slick passing and movement began to suggest they would take
control of the game.
It was not to be. Kenning replaced out of sorts Kevin Allsop with Mick Sandar and, with his first touch, the youngster was scoring a goal to savour.
More indecision at the back created the opening and, with the Brewers defence standing off as to invite a shot, Sandar fired in a curling right foot effort from 22 yrds that left Goodwin rooted as it found the top corner of his net.
Ten minutes later Rovers almost stole the lead when Boyles, Peters and Sandar linked to release King with the veteran striker cleverly making space for a shot that Goodwin did well to block.
There was no let up in the entertainment as the second half continued along similar lines with Peters heading an early chance over for Rovers and Webster and Clough linking at the other end to create a clear chance for Garner that brought a fine save from Baldwin, the youngster pushing the striker's 15 yrd shot round the post.
Ten minutes later Rovers went ahead, Peters firing home from the penaly spot after Alan Davies had handled while challenging Sandar in the box. That was Peters' last contribution for, six minutes later, Kenning was again called on by referee Gould to make a substitution, presumably for comments made by the Gresley midfielder.
Neil Broadhurst brought another good save out of Goodwin after a swift break led by Sandar but there was an edge developing to the game now and, rarely for a fixture of this stature, referee Gould twice showed yellow cards, to Gresley's Steve Coates for dissent and to Burton's Phil Starbuck for a foul.
Richard Wardle's excellent run into the box set up Sandar with a close-range header that Goodwin was well positioned to gather but then a flare-up between Sandar and Davies following a nasty cahllenge by the Gresley striker brought two more substitutions at the referee's insistence.
As the crowd pondered on how many cards there would have been had the game been a league or cup encounter, Burton equalised with the best goal of the night.
Clough's measured pass sent substitute Dale Anderson skating away down the left and the striker evaded two challenges before firing a left foot shot past the helpless Baldwin.
Clough went close to deciding the game for Albion with a lofted 25 yrd effort that flew just over then Goodwin made sure the honours were shared with his third excellent save of the night from triallist Andy Tiday's scorching drive.
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Burton Albion (1) 2
Scorers: Sandar 33, Peters 61 (pen)(Gresley Rovers); Blount 12, Anderson 79 (Burton Albion).
Gresley Rovers: Wright (Baldwin 25), Broadhurst, Thornhill (Roberts 59), Bluck (Reynolds 32), Warren, Middleton, Peters (Cousins 67), Doughty (Wardle 59), Allsop (Sandar 33), King (Tiday 59), Boyles (Coates 45).
Burton Albion: Goodwin, Bacon, Davies (Slater 78), Starbuck, Blount, Forsyth, Lyons, Garner, Webster (Anderson 52), Clough, Crosby (Fierro 62). Sub not used: Jones.
Referee: R Gould (Newhall).
Attendance: 384
