Bedworth United vs Gresley Rovers
Kirk double so cruel on Moatmen - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers' hopes of extending their winning league run to
three games were dealt the cruellest of blows at The Oval on Saturday.
Brian Kenning's team produced what was arguably their beat 45
minutes of football of the troubled season so far to completely dominate the
first half but then found themselves trailing when Nicky Kirk made contact with
a 53rd-minute volley.
It was the kind of shot that, often as not, ends up in the car
park but, to Rovers' utter dismay, Kirk's 30-yard effort flew past the helpless
Richard Selby and into the top corner. It could be argued that Rovers had only
themselves to blame after seeing a string of first half chances come and go
but that would belittle the excellence of home keeper Jordan King and fail to
take into account the Moatmen's appalling lack of good fortune in front of goal.
Kenning's men had the home side on the back foot from the moment
Richard Gardner miscued a second minute volley past the top corner.
A succession of openings followed with Mark Peters seeing a goal
bound shot blocked, Simon Tucker denied by a last-gasp challenge and Neil Broadhurst
having a thumping effort superbly blocked by King.
Broadhurst also linked well with Richard Wardle before setting
up Gardner for a 10-yard header that flew over before Peters sent a shot skidding
disappointingly wide. Gardner's free kick from the right was then met with a
deft near post header from the impressive Kevin Allsop but King produced another
excellent save.
Moments later Allsop was inches away again, his cross-sum-shot
flashing an inch wide. The game then turned on its head by an out-break of ill
discipline that one could not have predicted. What might have been forecast,
though, was that fiery midfielder Ian Drewitt would be the centre of any such
outburst, the diminutive number six remonstrating with Richard Wardle after
a tackle and all hell breaking loose as a consequence.
At the thick of it all were Bedworth's Scott Clamp, booked only
three minutes before for a bad foul on Peters, and Coates, with the referee
apparently having no option but to dismiss both as punches were thrown.
Rovers were never the same after that and when Adie Doughty completed
what looked like an effective headed clearance of Drewitt's up field hoick eight
minutes into the second half Kirk came up with his wonder goal.
Rovers hit back immediately with Gardner's fierce shot again producing
another fine save from King and Matt Ward heading Peters' in swinging corner
from the left off the line at the far post. Shortly afterwards it was all over
for the Moatmen when the previously ineffectual Craig Whitmore found generous
space on the left to fire in a perfect far post cross that Kirk met with a perfect
volley, in off the underside of the crossbar from point blank range.
Bedworth United (0) 2
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorer: Kirk 53, 68.
Bedworth United: king, Ward, Richardson, Sanders (Carroll
25), Hier, Drewitt, Holt (Stevens 83), Clamp, Webster, Kirk, Whitmore. Sub not
used: Bradder.
Gresley Rovers: Selby (Bluck 81), Broadhurst (Roberts 46),
Gardner, Doughty, Warren, Bluck (Sandar 81), Wardle, Coates, Allsop, Tucker,
Peters. Sub not used: Reynolds.
Referee: G Capps (Kettering)
Attendance: 188
