Bilston Town vs Gresley Rovers
Kenno's Boys Falling Apart-Andy Parker-Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers' stuttering start to the season became a bad one
last night as Brian Kenning's team crashed to their second comprehensive defeat
in the space of three days.
Rovers played neatly and nicely enough to begin with but once
they had fallen behind to a goal in first half stoppage time there was only
ever going to be one winner. In the event, Matt Warren's 77th minute strike
from a free kick came too late to be anything more than a consolation, Bilston's
Scott Voice by that time having gone on to complete a hat trick.
What Kenning felt of it all remained to be heard as the Rovers'
boss quickly disappeared after the final whistle, declining even to tell the
Press he had nothing to say: a silence which spoke volumes after a clueless
display by his side.
There was no one in the Gresley ranks who played particularly
badly but as a unit Rovers, while producing precise passing football at times,
simply lacked a cutting edge.
Close season signing Matt Boyles, drifting between midfield and
attack for much of the game, provided Rovers' best threat early on and might
have given his side the lead on 14 minutes after picking up Steve Coates' well
delivered pass and hitting a measured, lofted shot from 18 yards which beat
keeper Danny Watson. When it came back off the bar, Neil Broadhurst fired the
rebound into orbit.
Bilston then produced a purple patch to test Rovers' defensive
resolve with a string of corners, Leon Jackson and Voice both putting half-chances
wide before Boyles gave further notice of his attacking potential with a first
time shot from Coates' throw that this time flew just wide.
potential with a first time shot from Coates' throw that this
time flew just wide. All the same, a goalless half-time score line seemed justice
until, two minutes into added time, Voice cleverly released flying winger Danny
Williams on the right then was in perfect position to fire home from 10 yards
after the wide man's cross had skimmed off Warren's head to tee him up perfectly.
Rovers by this time had lost striker Dave King with a jarred
knee but substitute Micky Sandar forced an early second half block from Watson
after good play by Boyles, Coates and Kevin Allsop. Then Mark Peters' deep corner
was met on the half volley by Warren only for Kris Sage to clear off the line.
Rovers were quickly made to feel doubly depressed after that miss
as Sage's short corner caught them napping and although Ian Wright produced
a super save to keep out Lee Rollason's header, Voice was one of a queue of
Bilston players on hand to roll the loose ball into an empty net. Voice almost
completed his triple with a header from Williams' cross, unwittingly but well
blocked by Broadhurst.
The hat trick was not long in coming. Carl Middleton failed to
control and Rollason quickly intervened to release his strike partner for a
neat finish past the exposed Wright. Rovers must have wondered what they had
done wrong to be on the end of such a score line but, even with the addition
of Adie Doughty in place of the ineffective Peters, they could not produce a
response until Boyles was felled 25 yards from goal and Warren despatched the
free kick high into the top corner of Watson's net.
Bilston Town (1) 3
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: Voice 45,57, 75 (Bilston Town): Warren 77 (Gresley Rovers).
Bilston Town: Watson, Leeding, Sage, Manton (Purdie 75),
Stone (Clifton 45), Benton, Williams, Jackson, Rollason, Voice, Osbourne: sub
not used: Jones.
Gresley Rovers: Wright, Broadhurst, Wardle, Bluck, Warren,
Middleton, Peters (Doughty 60), Coates, Allsop, King (Sandar 29), Boyles; sub
not used: Reynolds.
Referee: S Ainge (Cheslyn Hay)
Attendance: 106
