UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Monday, 17th April 2006, 3.00pm
Millns header grabbs a point
Gresley Rovers and Stocksbridge Park Steels both have hopes of reaching the play-offs and so this game was always going to be a tough one, and so it proved to be.
Steels, who still have a horrendous amount of games still to play at this late stage, took the game to their hosts and were soon showing their metal. Ben Walker was soon testing his range as early as the 6th minute but he put his shot wide.
But it was the home side that went the closest on 20 minutes when Aaron O'Connor fired in a goal-bound shot that took a deflection and away for a corner. Nicky Carter's corner found Chris Brindley who was unlucky to see his header come back off the bar.
Three minutes later a corner from the left taken by Mickey Lyons found Matt Millns on the edge of the box. The defender hit a terrific volley that Steels keeper Steve Hodgson superbly pushed away for another corner.
The play swung to the other end and Steels were soon pushing Gresley back forcing three corners in succession. From the third one Karl Colley's deflected shot was headed off the line by Lyons defending the far post.
Steels best chance of the first half came on 37 minutes. Stephan Zoll collected a throw in which he then crossed into the box. Steve Hawes scuffed a shot that Millns could only slice in his attempt to clear. The ball fell to Walker who had the goal gaping and with Gresley keeper Tommy Whittle on his knees the Steels front man embarrassingly fired wide.
Five minutes later Gresley's goal led a very charmed life as first Colley fired against a post after an almighty scramble in the box and then from a free kick Zoll had a shot tipped away by Whittle but only as far as Dave Cockerill who's shot was cleared off the line this time by Nick Carter.
Stocksbridge were not to be denied the goal that looked like coming. In first half injury time Walker played the ball to the impressive Zoll who then fired in a sublime curling shot past Whittle and into the far top corner of the net.
Steels could have doubled their lead when on 57 minutes Zoll turned and fired but the shot went just wide.
The action immediately flew to the other end when Jamie Barrett made a powerful run down the left before passing to Paul Edwards who's shot was blocked but the rebound fell to O'Connor who unleashed an absolute rocket of a shot that Hodgson did superbly well to tip over the bar.
On 69 minutes David Holmes, who'd worked his socks off all game, saw his shot deflected into the path of Edwards but Hodgson was quick off his line to smother the danger.
O'Connor was causing the Steels defence problems and went close twice within a couple of minute. His first a shot that went just wide and then a shot very well blocked by Hodgson.
Stocksbridge were unlucky not to have had the game sewn up on 79 minutes. Zoll, who looked suspiciously offside, brought the ball under control before beating Millns. He then flicked the ball around the advancing Whittle but his effort hit the post and away to safety.
With time running out for Gresley they were awarded a free kick on 81 minutes just inside the visitor's half. A great kick from Allan Davies found Millns inside the box and the defender made no mistake in putting his header past Hodgson and into the net.
Gresley could have taken the lead just three minutes later when Holmes made a superb run down the left beating a couple of defenders before laying the ball back to Edwards who blazed his shot agonisingly past the far post.
Holmes, after being a provider at one end then turned defender at the other when he headed Daniel Anson's header off the line.
Manager's View
"We had the opening twenty minutes and we had that little spell where we hit the bar and their keeper made a great save and we kept them under pressure. Then, all of a sudden, I don't know whether they stepped up a gear or we stepped down a gear but it was full of incidents at the other end as well.
"I thought we'd rode the storm and weathered it but unfortunately it wasn't the case and we ended up going in to a very injury time strike from, apart from Aaron O'Connor, one of the best strikers in this league. Stephan Zoll always works hard and is always a handful; he scored two against us at their place and a nice goal today but I thought we'd weathered that storm because there were a couple of incidents where I thought we were going to go a goal down earlier in the half - it was an entertaining first half.
"Second half I felt we edged it and again a similar story. They had one or two good half opportunities, the one that hit the post when they were one-nil. Zoll did fantastically well to turn Matt Millns inside out and he looked as if he was going to lift it over Tommy (Whittle) to put them two-nil up. But, we had a bit of fortune and it hit the post. They had one or two other bits and bobs but at the other end we did as well. I said to Pete afterwards that it was a cracking game and it was an excellent advert for UniBond football, end to end. It doesn't do the managers heart rates any good in the situation Stocksbridge and are selves are in. I was joking with Pete before the game that we'd take a point. I think both camps are relatively happy with it. Stocksbridge are six points behind but have four games in hand but they have such a lot of games to play and we hope fatigue will play its part.
"The free kick from Allan Davies that led to the goal was a great one. We were disappointed with our quality from set plays up until that point. We've got some very good lads and we'd sent Steve Gomm on as well. Allan put a good delivery in and Matt got his goal. We challenged some of the other players to take some of the pressure off the forwards. The forwards had had a bit of a dry spell up to the Kendal game and today Millnsy has helped us out at the right end.
"Aaron and Paul had a good game and I thought we were going to win it after that. We went three at the back in search of the equaliser. We got it and Mick and I said what should we do go for it or shut things up? But we decided to go for it because the momentum was with us and just after that Paul Edwards had a good chance land to him and you would put money on him to score from there. That was the type of game it was, end to end. I said to Pete afterwards it could have been four-four it was one of those games.
"Their free kick at the end was never a free kick. Mick Goddard used his experience and that's what we ask our players to do. He got a free kick there and I wanted to make sure we were organised because it was right at the end and there would have been no chance of coming back from that. After losing to a last minute goal at Stocksbridge I don't think my heart could have stood losing to a last minute goal again today.
"David Holmes worked hard today and when we decided to go three at the back it was a case of who we were going to take off. With Nick (Carter) being a natural left foot pushing him forward may have been the option but Dave went on a fantastic run from deep showing he'd got plenty left in the tank so we changed it. Dave was fantastic in the last twenty minutes in particular. He works very, very hard and is solid. Aaron woke up this morning with a sore throat and feeling fluey so he wasn't on form today because of it. But having said that he caused them a lot of problems, he worked hard and we've got eight days now until our next game so he can recover from that.
"We were relatively solid at the back. Matt Millns had a fairly good game and won a lot of his headers. We were reasonably solid, apart for a twenty-minute spell, in the middle of the park and I thought Paul and Aaron worked hard without maybe showing the quality they've shown in recent weeks. Stocksbridge are a very, very tough side to play against and we've ground one out today and I'm quite please with that."
