UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 18th February 2006, 3.00pm
Moatmen lose at home
This was an important game for both sides as Gresley Rovers looked to get back into a playoff place and Fleetwood Town to close the gap on the two certain promotion places.
Gresley included the two recent signings in their starting line-up with Steve Gomm partnering Aaron O'Connor up front and Tom Betteridge coming in to midfield.
The visitors thought they'd got off to a flying start with the ball in Gresley's net in less than a minute but a linesman flag cut short their joy.
On 11 minutes Fleetwood's Richard Allen indicated what was to come later in the game when he was allowed to run all of 40 yards though the middle but, with only home keeper James Pemberton to beat, he skewed his shot wide of the upright.
Allen almost got his side in front on 21 minutes but a fine block from Pemberton denied the lively frontrunner.
A minute later it was the turn of Fleetwood keeper Andy Banks to keep the scores level when Aaron O'Connor fired a ferocious shot from just inside the area that Banks did well to block.
On 24 minutes Gresley went close when Gomm powered in a header that was cleared off the line with what looked like the use of an arm.
However, four minutes later the visitors took the lead. A Jamie Milligan corner was only partially cleared to James Barrow and his cross was not defended and Steve Macauley in space poked the ball home.
Gresley tried to get back and on 32 minutes Chris Brindley had a half chance but put his shot straight into the arms of Banks.
Nicky Carter had the clearest of chances for minutes later when after some good work down the left by O'Connor ended with a cross that found Carter who inexplicably fired his shot over the bar form the edge of the 6 yard box.
The action switched to the other end and Andy Bell almost capitalised on a defensive mix-up but shot wide.
Gresley had got back into the game and were putting the visitors under pressure as the first half closed. A superb cushioned header from O'Connor set up Mickey Lyons but his volley screamed just over the bar. Them Gary White shot wide after a Gomm lay-off and almost on the whistle Brindley put a header over the bar.
The second period belonged to Gresley and they were soon testing the resolve of Banks when Carter hit a fine shot that was pushed away. Seconds later another Gomm lay-off saw O'Connor fire over the bar.
Just after the hour mark it seemed Fleetwood's goal led a charmed life as shot after shot rained in but unfortunately not into the net.
On 73 minutes and somewhat against the run of the play Allen was allowed the luxury of running 40 yards through the middle of the park before putting his shot wide of Pemberton and into the net.
Gresley did their hardest in the final 15 minutes or so but it was the visitors who almost grabbed a third but Allen only managed to chip the ball wide.
Manager's View
"This game was disappointing for the players, supporters and me. We lost the game two-nil. For the first twenty minutes we were very slow coming out of the blocks, which is disappointing, and Fleetwood imposed themselves on us very well.
"We gave away a sloppy goal; well both goals were sloppy really and we are not going to win football games giving goals away like that. It was a set play and the second phase and we just got caught and someone muscled in and got on the end of it and we were chasing the game again. It's the umpteenth game we've gone behind.
"But, the last twenty minutes I felt we began to tick and to be honest how we come in not registering a goal at half time was frustrating because I felt we created some good stuff - we had one cleared off the line, Aaron (O'Connor) had a couple of chances and Nicky Carter had one from three or four yards out - on his left peg - and he put it over.
"It's hard - we brought a couple of new lads in who were finding their feet and within eight minutes a supporter behind us is slaughtering one of the new signings who wants to do his best and has been playing well all season.
"Steve Gomm has come in and done great for us. He's put himself about and he's done what we haven't had in recent games up front that's a bit of presence, getting hold of it and trying to bring others into play, but there's no pleasing some people.
"Second half I don't remember them creating anything other than the goal. There's only been one side in it in the second half - yes, some people may say I've got rose-tinted glasses and I'm obviously looking at things from Gresley's perspective. It's not been videoed to day but if it had and you sat down and watched it you'd see what chances they had created in the second half - there was only one side in it but, naivety has cost us today.
"The guy who scored the goal gave us a similar warning in the first half when he waltzed through and we backed off and backed off and he's put it wide from a very good opportunity. We've done it again. All the possession and pressure we had in the second half was undone by some naive defending. All of a sudden coming from two-nil down against a side like Fleetwood is a big ask. That's why they are where they are in the league because they can come away from home and grind and scrap a result out. They play some good football as well but at the end of the day they deal with things and defend.
"We were very disappointed with the result and I'm sure the supporters are but I'll ask anyone who is realistic to look at the balance of that game. We had a fair balance of the game and we tried to get the ball down and we tried to play and we created a fair few opportunities today but it's just not going for us at the moment and we have to stick together.
"We've done alright today but it was in the final third where we've been left lacking and we can't keep relying on Aaron.
"So it's been very frustrating but we've got to keep going on because there's still a lot to play for. If we had won we would have been back in the playoff places that's how close we are to things. It's a defeat against a playoff rival and I'm not making any excuses we have to improve; we have to become more crafty. Carl Slater had the chance to go down for a penalty but he tried to stay on his feet. We are too nice and too naive. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred it's a nailed on penalty and the referee would have given it but we're honest. There's nobody dishonest in the dressing room and sometimes it goes against us because we do try and stay on our feet when perhaps there is an opportunity to get free kicks and stuff and then we get punished for naive mistakes at the back. There's not a player in the dressing room that I've got doubts about. Looking at this stage last year we had some characters in the dressing room that we didn't want in there because they were causing problems. There's no one of that ilk. We were presented with a fair play award which last year was unheard of. We were bottom of that fair play league last season and up in fifth this season so we've improved in that respect so maybe we do need to get stuck in a bit more and be a bit more aggressive and if a few more yellow cards come through so be it."
