UniBond League Division One
The Planet Conservatives Stadium, Kendal
Tuesday, 11th April 2006, 7.45pm
A Mint Performance in Kendal
Kendal had been the first team to beat Gresley in the league at the Moat Ground this season back in November and they say that revenge is a dish best served cold. However, Gresley served up possibly the hottest performance of this campaign and the score line, in all honesty, flattered the home side who were in the hunt for an automatic promotion place.
Kendal had only lost twice in their last 23 league games before they met a rampant Gresley side at The Planet Conservatives Stadium who totally played their hosts off the park and could thank their lucky stars that the margin wasn't a great deal bigger than it ended up.
Although the score line at half time indicated that the first half was a dour event nothing could have been further from the truth.
Gresley came out of the blocks looking lively and on six minutes a good move by Nicky Carter down the left ended with his cross being cleared only as far as Mickey Lyons. Lyons hit a first time shot that was blocked but the ball fell to Aaron O'Connor just on the edge of the box . The Gresley frontman smashed a shot toward goal that Kendal keeper James Salisbury did very well to tip the ball over as it headed for the top corner.
Salisbury came to his side's rescue again 20 minutes later after Nicky Carter and Paul Edwards had combined superbly to set up O'Connor who again saw his shot tipped over by the keeper.
The first meaningful attempt from the home side came when Paul Osbourne beat Matt Millns but man-of-the-match Lyons was on hand to easily clear the cross.
Kendal's goal was leading a charmed life as minutes after Jamie Barrett had had a shot saved Gary White sent over a superb cross-field pass to O'Connor but this time the striker put his shot over with only Salisbury to beat.
Despite all their pressure on the home defence Gresley could have been behind by the break. On 38 minutes the visiting keeper Tommy Whittle pulled off a superb one handed save preventing Chris Ward's powerful downward header from crossing the line.
Gresley took a deserved lead on 66 minutes when Edwards cleverly found O'Connor in space and the league's top scorer made no mistake smashing the ball past Salisbury for his 33rd goal of the season.
Eight minutes later Gresley should have doubled their advantage when O'Connor and Lyons combined to make an opening for Carter, who unfortunately fired wide when well placed.
With two minutes remaining on the clock Gresley made the game as good as safe. Lyons saw the chance to lift the ball over the Kendal back line to David Holmes who in turn laid on the perfect ball to Edwards who controlled the ball with one touch before hammering the ball home past the helpless Salisbury.
Gresley then put the cherry on the cake by adding a third in time added on. Edwards and Holmes had combined well to provide O'Connor with another chance. O'Connor fired in a shot that was helped into the net by Edwards.
Manager's View
"After Saturday's defeat by Warrington everyone was very down. I asked them in the dressing room after the match for a response. We got it and then some.
"All credit to the lads, though it was an absolutely thoroughly deserved win and we travel back home with a massive three points under our belts.
"We should have been two or three up by half time. Aaron had a couple of chances and I honestly thought it was going to be just one of those days for him. However, he came up trumps in the end and got us the lead in the second half and then Eddie (Paul Edwards) wrapped things up.
"I'm absolutely delighted, but we are not going overboard about it. We have done nothing but put the three points in our account that we should have had on Saturday."
