Yate Town vs Gresley Rovers
Rovers' Fun in the Sun Burton Mail Sports Reporter
Gresley Rovers concluded their pre-season build-up with a comfortable 5-1 stroll in the sun at Yate.
An overnight stay in Weston-Super-Mare designed to build team bonding highlighted a superb team spirit with Saturday's trip to Gloucester awaited with much relish.
It took Gresley just two minutes to take the lead. Brown's trip from behind on Dave King left referee Alan Green with only one option - penalty - and Mark Peters dispatched with a minimum of fuss.
Briefly, the home side threatened to make a game of it. Player-manager Gary Hewlett's excellent pass released Rutter who provided Ian Wright with a rare save.
Two goals in three minutes towards the end of the first half put Gresley firmly in the driving seat.
First Kevin Allsopp raced clear of a square defence before placing a shot beyond the oncoming Bean and just inside the post.
And Yate's brittle defence was breached again when Adie Doughty supplied the ammunition for Peters to clip a shot past the overworked Bean.
After a fairly uneventful start to the second half, Mick Sandar scored the best goal of the game to start a three goal spell in the final 18 minutes.
Peters provided the opening for Thornhill to supply an excellent far post cross for Sandar to power home.
Simon Baldwin had only been on the field for three minutes before he was picking the ball out of the net with substitute Bishop turning in Hewlett's pass from close-in.
And sixteen year old Jon Jenkinson, by some 12 months Baldwin's senior, celebrated his first senior goal for the club in the closing minutes having earlier been denied by the post and a superb Bean reflex save.
Yate Town (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (3) 5
Scorers: Bishop 82 (Yate Town); Peters 2,38, Allsop 36, Sandar 72, Jenkinson (Gresley Rovers).
Yate Town: Bean, Gillespie, Fortt, Brown, Thompson, Williams, Neal, Hewlett, Methringham, Rutter, Walker. Subs not used: Andrews, Totterdell.
Gresley Rovers: Wright (Baldwin 79), Broadhurst, Thornhill (Doughty 75), Reynolds, Warren, Middleton, Peters (Norton 84), Coates, Allsop (Jenkinson 75), King (Sandar 45), Doughty (Boyles 45).
Referee: A Green (Yate)
Attendance: 42
