UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 1st April 2006, 3.00pm
Chorley fooled by the Moatmen
Manager Gary Norton woke up on the morning of this game with a problem to solve. Keeper Tommy Whittle had let him know that he had come down with food poisoning during the night and could not play, James Pemberton was awaiting the results from a knee scan and Gavin Saxby was not contactable.
Phone calls to both the league and FA asking for dispensation to bring in an emergency keeper proved fruitless so Pemberton took the courageous decision to step into the breach despite his injury.
Chorley came to the Moat Ground boasting one of the best away records in the UniBond Division One this season and it soon became apparent why.
From the off they put Gresley's defence under pressure and took the lead after just 4 minutes when Peter Wright swept home Chris Thompson's cross.
The visitors were having the better of the play and nearly doubled their advantage on 16 minutes but Thompson's well-struck volley flew just the other side of the post.
Gresley began to find their feet and on 18 minutes got back on equal terms. Aaron O'Connor's tackle on Martin Clark allowed the ball to find Paul Edwards who then played the ball back to O'Connor. He then laid a pass to Tom Betteridge who managed to slip the ball past two defenders and the advancing keeper Phil Priestley and into the net.
Two minutes later Gresley took the lead with a fine passing movement down the left. O'Connor turned his marker and raced to the bye line where he left the same player James Mullineux sitting on the floor before sending over a superb cross to David Holmes waiting on at the far post who powered in his header.
Chorley almost caught the Gresley defence napping on 38 minutes but Franny Barry, who'd run onto a good through ball, was thwarted by keeper Pemberton who managed to get a hand to the shot and push it out for a corner.
On the stroke of half time Gresley striker Edwards went close to increasing the Moatmen's advantage when he skilfully shielded the ball, turned and fire a low shot that went fractionally wide of the target.
The action in the second period swung from end to end as both sides played some good swift flowing football.
Betteridge almost got his second goal of the game on 64 minutes but again the ball ended up flying past the upright.
Three minutes later a huge kick by Priestly bounced over the head of Brindley and very nicely into the path of Barry but, with Pemberton rushing at him he could only put his shot wide.
Gresley defender Chris Brindley went close when he got his head to a superb cross from O'Connor but again the attempt went frustratingly wide of the mark.
The visitors gave Gresley an anxious last ten minutes as they try to salvage a point and they had one last try at grabbing a point with only five minutes remaining. A shot from John Bluck took a wicked deflection off Nicky Carter but Pemberton was very alert and dived low to his left to push the ball away for a corner.
The game was somewhat spoiled deep into time added on, however, when Thompson's frustration boiled over as Holmes, who was to receive a yellow card for a foul, was shown a straight red card for striking the midfielder.
Manager's View
"For the last ten minutes I was getting a little frustrated as I felt we were going to concede to be honest.
"It was a great scrapping performance in the second half and some fantastic football in the first. We got our noses in front after having a mountain to climb after going down to an early goal. The side is showing great character with some great performances so that three points was massive for us.
"I can't repeat what I thought after going down to an early goal. We were disappointed because from the first whistle we were telling Mickey Lyons to get close to their No.9. Chorley started as 4-4-2 pushing their full backs on and we wanted Mickey to pick up the 9 but he wasn't close enough from the throw in they delivered the ball in and you have to ask questions about how tight we were. But, it was a tidy finish.
"Credit to the Gresley lads they dug in. For the first ten or fifteen minutes we were slow out of the box again and you could see why Chorley have had some good results away from home. They play a good brand of football they get it down, try and push it and run. We thought they'd come and sit nice and deep to start with but actually they were on the front foot. I think the goal came at the right time for us because if the game had gone on any longer they could have got a foothold in the game.
"I'm delighted Tom Betteridge has got on the sheet. He's done really, really well since he's come in and I'm delighted for him. He's answered his critics who were on to him after just twenty minutes of his debut.
"From then we played some great football - absolutely fantastic football. Good one-two stuff with the third man running and we got into some great positions. Aaron and Eddie (Paul Edwards) were fantastic for a twenty-minute spell followed up by the midfielders; the wide boys were doing well, the central lads got into the game and we were defending well at the back.
"To go in two-one at half time was pleasing but we knew that Chorley would come at us in the second half. Shaun has got together a very tough side particularly away from home. It's the second best away form in the league and I'm delighted with the three points.
"The second half was a little stop-start but where the referee got five minutes stoppage time from I'm not quite sure.
"Although Chorley had a lot of the ball in the second half they didn't create anything clear cut. I think the nearest thing slashed off Nicky Carter when Pembo (James Pemberton) had to make the save.
"A special word about Pembo. Pembo's played today for us and helped us out. He had a scan on his knee on Thursday and he's not played since Belper away. He's injured and he shouldn't be playing. We were in dire straights this morning after receiving a text message at twenty past six from Tommy Whittle saying he'd got food poisoning and been vomiting all night and there was absolutely no chance that he would play. So I spoke to Pembo who said he'd had his scan and was waiting for his results. I'd been trying to get hold of Gavin Saxby all morning but couldn't raise him. We asked James to play because the deadline had passed for signing players. We contacted the league about maybe special dispensation for signing another keeper but they weren't very forthcoming on that so we decided to go with Pembo and we are delighted we managed to get three points."
