Gloucester City vs Gresley Rovers
Tony’s late goal rescues Rovers – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Most teams that score 90th-minute equalisers are glad of a point – but not Gresley at Meadow Park, Gloucester, on Saturday.
For Rovers staged such a remarkable late revival after trailing for most of the game to Tony Cook’s first half strike that, astonishingly, they could have won the game 4-1 in injury time.
After substitute Tony Marsden had joyously forced in the leveller in the last minute of normal time Rovers went on to hit a post, see a shot cleared off the line and a penalty awarded – only for the referee to change his decision because of an offside flag.
Four stunning minutes of added time action left manager Steve Dolby gasping: “After 80 minutes I’d have been bitterly disappointed with losing – but now I’m bitterly disappointed we haven’t won.”
With memories of his team’s 3-0 drubbing at Atherstone still fresh, Dolby had set his stall out to keep a clean sheet at Gloucester, bringing back Gil Land as part of a three-man central defence and drafting Graeme Rigg into midfield to stiffen his side’s resilience.
The ploy looked sound until a flash of inspiration from Cook upset the apple cart, the striker leaving Stuart Evans for dead with a devastating turn 25 yards from goal and firing a drive that Bob Aston blocked but could not hold. The keeper produced a great save as Karl Bayliss seized onto the rebound, but was powerless to prevent the inrushing Cook from hammering the loose ball over the line.
Rovers had given as good as they’d got hitherto as Gloucester – previously unchanged in five games – were forced to cover the loss of two players with injuries in the opening 25 minutes.
But as the home side took heart from Cook’s goal Rovers were forced onto the defensive, leaving Simon Osborne and Mark Hurst hard-working but increasingly isolated figures up front.
Twice in the early second half attacks Gloucester went close to putting the game out of reach, former Tamworth striker Mark Boyland sending a shot skidding across Aston’s goal mouth and Cook crashing a close-range effort against the crossbar after a clearance had bounced off a defender straight to City skipper Mark Buckland.
Rovers finally shook off the defensive shackles with Dave Swainston replacing Land and the policy showed quick signs of maturing, Rigg’s cross bouncing off a defender for Osborne to fire narrowly wide.
Back came City with Boyland releasing Bayliss for a blistering volley that Aston superbly tipped over, but Rovers’ sap was rising and there would have been a penalty after Hurst was felled in the area had referee King not decided to play the advantage rule and Crompton not produced an excellent save to deny the luckless Osborne as he seized on the loose ball.
Denby fired a dipping drive inches over, then a superb cross from the outstanding Martin Dick gave Marsden a close range heading chance that Crompton instinctively stuck out a hand to save, the Rovers substitute firing the loose ball into the side netting.
Just as it seemed Rovers were doomed to a second consecutive defeat Nick Stanborough rose at the far post to nod down Denby’s right wing cross and this time Marsden made no mistake with another close range header.
Uproar then broke out as Hurst was felled by Crompton with a linesman’s offside flag forcing referee King to alter his decision to award a penalty, then Osborne shot against a post after Hurst had dummied another Dick cross. Finally Hurst flicked on Richard Wardle’s cross to present Denby with a chance but Tommy Callinan scooped his shot off the line.
Gloucester City (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: Cook 36 (Gloucester City); Marsden 90 (Gresley Rovers).
Gloucester City: Crompton, Bloomfield, Fishlock (Johnson 10), Buckland, Kemp, Criddle, Callinan, Hughes (Boyland 25), Bayliss, Cook, Crouch.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Elliott, Denby, Evans, Stanborough, Wardle, Rigg (Marsden 77), Osborne, Land (Swainston 65), Hurst.
Gresley man-of-the-match:Martin Dick.
Referee: R W King (Worcester).
Attendance: 566
