Gresley Rovers vs Gloucester City
Tigers claw spoils from Rovers - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Two late strikes consigned Gresley Rovers to their second consecutive league
defeat at the Moat Ground and left manager Brian Kenning in a not unprecedented
fit of high dudgeon.
Watching from the stand, Kenning saw his team dominate possession against
the once-mighty Tigers, but as so often before, Rovers could not turn possession
into goals.
On a wet and windy afternoon mistakes were always to be expected and blunders
at either end led to the opening exchange of goals late in the first half.
Both keepers had produced good saves, Ian Simms coming out quickly to deny
Matt Rawkins after Adie Doughty's ill-judged back pass and Ally Hines doing
well to keep out Karl Reynolds' close-range header, before Rovers took the lead.
City substitute Wayne Thorne recklessly attempted to play the ball across
his back line and Ritchie Gardner was in quickly to rob Will Steadman and exchange
passes with Simon Tucker before firing easily past Hines.
However, Rovers quickly committed their own version of hara-kiri as Simms'
legs slipped beneath him as he shaped to collect Richard Moore's free kick and
Dawkins was left with an open goal.
Tucker almost restored Rovers' lead with a stinging shot after skilfully making
space in the box and Kennings' men continued to remain on top, their concentration
apparently unaffected by an 18-player melee sparked by a clash between Gardner
and Tommy Callinan, referee Brian Curzon sensibly opting to keep his red card
in his pocket as he instead booked two players from each side.
Gardner, Richard Wardle and Tucker were all off target with half-chances and
the Moatmen continued to press but, just as a point seemed assured, veteran
full back Grantley Dicks found space to cross from the left and Dawkins was
unmarked as he despatched an angled header.
Tucker saw a shot blocked and Mark Peters a sweeping low effort splendidly saved
as Rovers tried to salvage a point but Gloucester made sure of all three when
Doughty's second wretched back pass of the afternoon let in Jimmy Cox who rounded
Simms and netted from an acute angle.
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Gloucester City (1) 3
Scorers: Gardner 33 (Rovers); Rawkins 39,89, Cox 90 (Gloucester).
Gresley Rovers: Simms, Broadhurst, Gardner, Doughty, Bluck, Devine,
Wardle, Reynolds (Roberts 69), Allsop, S Tucker, Peters. Subs not used: Middleton
Sandar.
Gloucester City: Hines, Steadman, Dicks, Hunt, Moore, Callinan (Jenkins
87), A Tucker, Chenoweth (Johnstone 84), Cox, Rawkins, Marshall (Thorne 17).
Referee: B Curzon (Hinckley)
Attendance: 342
