Trowbridge Town vs Gresley Rovers
Rovers fail to find the way Holmes – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers returned from Trowbridge with another defeat behind them and manager Steve Dolby reflecting on a prediction that came true and a prerequisite that did not.
Dolby had said beforehand that his team would set out to defend and wait for the inevitable one chance that would surely come their way.
Sure enough, Rovers protected their goal as well as they have dome all season against Town's direct style in the first half.
But when an opening did come their way, debutant David Holmes spoiled his chance to etch his little-known name onto the hearts of the travelling Moat faithful.
In Rovers' clearest cut scoring chance, Holmes, after an impressive start, found himself clear in the Trowbridge penalty area thanks to Tony Marsden's excellent through ball but as Mark Teasdale advanced from his line the youngster, who has just completed a four-year stint at Scarborough, failed to lift the ball high enough to beat the diminutive keeper and the chance was gone.
After surviving a torrid opening period in which Bob Aston's point blank save from David Mitchell's header after five minutes had prevented the home side from taking an early lead, Rovers had done enough to warrant a half time lead.
They matched the home side's muscle but, apart from a Marsden header that flew over from Richard Denby's free kick, did little to trouble Teasdale.
But with Holmes' enthusiasm and trickery and Mike Taplin's intelligent distribution belying the absence of five strikers from higher in the Moat Ground pecking order, they posed Trowbridge far more of a threat than might have been expected.
Midfielder Richard Boden was even forced to head off the line after Teasdale had missed a Denby corner won through the persistence of Holmes.
And with the wind at their backs at the second half Rovers looked a good bet for a shock against a Town side unbeaten at their rundown Frome Road stadium this season.
Instead, though, Trowbridge seized the initiative – and the lead – with the second period just seven minutes old.
Marsden failed to clear effectively from the left flank and when Boden crossed into the penalty area the ball ran perfectly for Mitchell to trickle a shot just past Aston's right hand and into the bottom corner from 10 yards.
That was only the second on-target goal attempt Town had managed thus far, reflecting how Rovers' had stood up to their Wimbledon-esque approach.
But the goal gave the home side an advantage they were loath to sacrifice despite Rovers' best efforts to wipe it out, Ian Straw 's angle effort that the stretching Nick Stanborough just failed to turn inside a post amounting to their best effort.
Rovers fans were then treated to the unprecedented sight of skipper Richard Denby being substituted as Dolby flung Dave Reddin into attack at the expense of his 4-4-2 formation, the substitute causing more than a few problems for the right side of Trowbridge's defence but gaining nothing more than a late flurry of inconsequential corners.
Town finally wrapped things up with a minute left and, to add insult to injury, scorer Mark Adams was clearly offside, when he raced away to round Aston and score from a tight angle. The possible goal difference consequences aside, though, it was a goal that mattered little to the outcome.
Trowbridge Town (0) 2
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorers: Mitchell 52, Adams 89
Trowbridge Town: Teasdale, Jackson, Howell, Bird, Kilgour (Thorpe 45), Lester, Boden, Mitchell, Freegard, Adams, Harris. Sub not used: Baverstock.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick (Williams 82), Rigg, Denby (Reddin 72), Evans, Stanborough, Wardle, Straw, Taplin, Holmes Marsden
Gresley man-of-the-match: Stuart Evans
Referee: R J Harris (Oxford)
Attendance: 339
