UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 17th September 2005, 3.00pm
Gresley win at the Moat
Manager Gary Norton made just one change for the game against Clitheroe bringing back former skipper Matt Smith in place of unavailable Andy Simpson.
Gresley opened with a bang and took the lead with just two minutes on the clock. Aaron O'Connor made a superb run down the right flank shrugging off a nasty tackle in the process before sending over a cross from the bye line to the waiting Paul Edwards. The striker made no mistake powerfully heading home his fifth goal of the season.
Five minutes later they doubled their advantage. Nathan Tate had been up ended by Russell Clarke just outside the area. Gary White's free kick found Matt Millns at the far post and his header beat the Clitheroe keeper from close in.
On 10 minutes Clitheroe forced three corners in quick succession as they tried to get themselves back into the game but to no avail.
However, on 28 minutes against the run of play the visitors pulled a goal back. Gresley defender White failed to clear a high ball that found Craig Sargeson. Sargeson turned in field before hitting an unstoppable shot from 20 yards past Gresley keeper James Pemberton and into the top corner of the net.
Straight from the interval Gresley were on the attack and within a minute Carl Slater put a shot just wide of the upright.
On 47 minutes a free kick from White found Millns at the near post but this time his header was blocked.
Gresley didn't have to wait too long to increase their lead. A minute later Tate won the ball before making a superb probing run through the middle of the Clitheroe half before laying on a mouth watering through ball to O'Connor who claimed his fourth goal of the campaign by slotting the ball coolly past Collinge and into the far corner of the net.
On the hour Clitheroe made one of their rare attacks on the Gresley goal with Sargeson firing well wide under pressure from Smith.
The ball was down the other end and Tate again put O'Connor through but this time his hard low shot was pushed away by Collinge for a corner. Millns went close again but his header from White's corner kick went just wide.
On 70 minutes O'Connor went on a jinking run down the middle but his shot was not on target and went wide.
Pemberton, largely a spectator for long periods of the game, was called into action on 76 minutes denying Tony Evans with a fine save at his near post.
Five minutes later Gresley went close again when a Chris Gray cross found Tate in space but his stooping header flew past the post.
With time running out Millns was looking to add to his tally but Clitheroe striker Gary Jackson acting as a defender, did well to put the ball out for a corner as the Gresley defender looked set to pounce.
Manager's View
"I'm pleased with both the performance and the result. We played some fantastic football in the first half and controlled the game in the second half.
"The football we played in the first half hour, while not quite on a par as that against Spalding, was fantastic, brilliant and until they scored there was only one side in it. Once they had scored for the remainder of the first half they were the only side in it. For long periods of the time it was a good entertaining game and I'm very pleased with them.
"James had to make a good save when we were three one up, the only save he had to make all day. Their goal was the first we'd conceded at home and it was from a mistake. Gary White's tried to cut it out rather than standing off and the goal was a great strike into the top corner but I don't remember James having to make a save except for the one already mentioned.
"The build up for the first goal was fantastic. Aaron had been fouled right in front of us but he managed to ride it and pick the ball up and went pretty much sixty - seventy yards and put a fantastic ball in and Paul Edwards got on the end of it and I was delighted with that goal. And then Gary White put a superb ball in for the second goal and Matt Millns was there doing was he does best in the box and he's put us two nil up and I felt we were right in control of the game. Their goal knocked the stuffing out of us a little bit and we looked a little bit edgy and we sat back a bit too deep. They are a good footballing side and we allowed them to play a little bit more then. So we said at half time we wanted to be more positive and take the game to them. If we sat deep and invited pressure for forty-five minutes it was going to be a long half. We wanted to be on the front foot and we got the early goal and we then needed to be sensible about things. There was no point in going gung ho and throwing bodies forward when we were three nil up. They were good on the break and I felt we kept our shape reasonably well and apart from the fantastic save Pembo made. If that had have gone in it would have been a frantic last few moments.
"We've been on at Nathan for some time to drive at people because when he does, either outside or inside he's a fantastic asset to the squad. I'm delighted with his performance. He looked very tired towards the end but he was still causing problems. We had thought of taking him off for the last ten minutes but he said he was OK. He still had energy in his legs and was making positive runs forward and I was delighted with his performance.
"Aaron came off because he's got a bit of a knock on his ankle that he's been playing with for a few weeks. But, we felt they were having a little bit too much time and space at the back to come out with the ball out and to be fair both Aaron and Eddie were very, very tired so we just wanted to freshen things up a little bit to make it a little bit more livelier up front. But I'm pleased for them both - they're both on the sheet again and we've got three points and it's brilliant!
"Matt Smith was awesome. I was absolutely delighted with his performance today."
