Gresley Rovers vs Solihull Borough
Richard Wardle chose the perfect moment to score his first goal of the season for Gresley Rovers at the Moat Ground yesterday.
The midfielder's 86th-minute strike gave Rovers three invaluable points just as it seemed Kin Casey's goal midway through the second half had earned Solihull an undeserved draw.
And it gave Rovers a victory that, thankfully, fully vindicated manager Steve Dolby's decision to cast aside his recent policy of caution and field a three-man attack. The tactic worked a treat in the opening stages with Solihull's defence quickly looking vulnerable.
Indeed, it took Rovers just six minutes to take the lead, Martin Devaney firing past the unsighted Darrell Houghton from 15 yards after former Burton Albion defender Mick Clarke had failed to clear David Holmes' right-wing cross.
Bob Aston had to save smartly from Mark Coogan's rising shot as Borough struck back, then stood his ground well when Casey threatened through the centre, but these were isolated Solihull breaks and a welter of Rovers attacks.
Holmes went close when Nick Stanborough drove in a Graeme Rigg cross, Devaney shot straight at Houghton when put through by Mark Hurst's pass after Holmes' attempt to curl the ball into the corner from the angle of the penalty area was saved.
Solihull looked ripe for the taking but after Devaney had again shot straight at Houghton when the keeper's weak clearance fell at his feet, the visitors were inches from levelling.
Coogan again provided the threat with a burst down the left but Aston got the faintest of touches to deflect his stinging drive over the bar.
Rovers must have fancied their chances of more goals after the break with the wind at their backs but almost gifted Solihull an equaliser straight from the restart.
Stuart Evans' backpass put Aston in trouble but when his clearance fell straight to Andy Canning the former Eton park favourite shot wide of a gaping target from 25 yards.
It was quickly back to normal service, though, with Hurst forcing Houghton to block at the foot of a post then Clarke denying Stanborough his first ever goal for Rovers with a clearance off the line after Devaney's challenge on the keeper had set up a golden chance.
With 70 minutes gone, though, Rovers were rueing their wasted dominance as Casey displayed his enduring eye for goal, shimmying past a challenge and beating Aston with deadly accuracy after Robert Hopkins had played him through.
It looked like another bitter pill for Gresley after Saturday's disappointment and only an excellent clearance by substitute Scott Elliott off the head of Kim Green denied Borough an unlikely second after Canning had rounded Aston on the right and crossed to the far post.
It was Wardle, though, who came up with a desperately needed spoonful of honey, darting in at the near post to volley in Holmes' cross from the right after a one-two with Devaney.
And it was the midfielder who made doubly sure of victory by clearing off Casey's toes to deny the much-travelled striker a second equaliser from Chris Burton's cross in the final minute.
There was still time for Rovers to go close again when Holmes thumped a shot against the inside of a post.
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Solihull Borough (0) 1
Scorers: Devaney 6, Wardle 86 (Gresley Rovers); Casey 70 (Solihull Borough)
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick (Elliott 45), Swainston, Denby (Venning 81), Evans, Stanborough, Wardle, Rigg, Hurst, Holmes, Devaney.
Solihull Borough: Houghton, Judd, Cook (Burton 87), Clarke, Dyson, Coogan, Ollis, Hopkins, Green, Casey, Canning. Sub not used: Mitchell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Wardle.
Referee: R Lane (Leicester Forest East).
Attendance: 584
