Halesowen Town vs Gresley Rovers
Gidding's shows how to do it
"One of the best hat-tricks you are likely to see" according to Rovers manager
John McGinlay sunk Gresley on the first day of the season.
Halesowen striker Kerry Giddings scored an overhead kick and two superb 25-yrd
drives to give the home side the three thoroughly deserved points and prove
to all the other teams that they are the ones to beat for the title.
Despite a poor first-half performance, the score-line was a little harsh on
the Rovers.
As the game went on they seemed to grow in confidence and could have scored
on a number of occasions if they had taken their chances towards the end of
the game.
Giddings, former Hereford United striker, opened the scoring after 6 minutes
when he produced an un-stoppable overhead kick from a Jason Burnham's centre
from the left wing.
James Lindley could do nothing to prevent the goal as the ball dipped just
under the cross-bar when it looked to be going over
On 16 minutes the home side's central defender Lee Knight collided with John
Allcock during an aerial challenge that resulted in Knight being sent to hospital
with a suspected broken collarbone.
Lindley did well to save from Michael Crawford after he had picked up a pass
from Leroy May's pass on 18 minutes as the home side piled on the pressure.
On 28 minutes Rovers had their first real attacking move when Shaun Bedward
latched on to a superb pass by Alex Green, skipped past a defender and his shot
flew past Tim Clarke's far post.
Three minutes later the home side should have increased their lead when Matty
Hall's corner came back to him from a poor headed clearance by Allcock. He then
sent a cross into the box but Lee Collins saw his header go over the bar.
On 36 minutes got their deserve second goal when Giddings cut inside a hesitant
Rovers defence and hit a thunderous shot into the far corner of the net again
with Lindley helpless.
Three minutes before the break Neil Kitching almost brought Rovers back into
the game when he was put through on goal by Lee Westwood only to see his shot
thump the bottom of the post
After Kitching's effort Rovers seemed to pull themselves together and came
more into the game. Westwood put a shot well wide after another cross from Bedward
and David Shaw put a shot just wide of the post.
Shaw was then substituted for Chris Parkins at the beginning of the second
half and imediatley was in the action firing a low cross into the area.
At the other end May headed a Hall free kick over and on 51 minutes it was
Parkins again who challenged the Halesowen goal but Clarke raced out of the
area and deflected the striker's effort and Westwood's resultant shot was blocked
by a covering defender.
On 51 minutes Giddings scored what was perhaps the best of his three goals.
He picked up a loose ball and crashed it in almost the same spot as before.
The home side could have extended their lead even further when a Gidding's dummy
provided the space for Hall whose first time shot flew just wide of Lindley's
goal.
Richard Wardle and Dale Hautin replaced Bedward and Ian Bluck as McGinlay made
an attempt to get back into the game.
Barry Woolley was pushed up to play along side Kitching and Parkins while Allcock
dropped back into the back three.
This change to 3-4-3 seemed to spark Rovers into life and Kitching saw his
shot turned round the post by the home keeper Clarke, his first save of the
match.
With seven minutes to go Rovers threw everything at Halesowen with Westwood
firing over and then Woolley failing to convert two crosses by Parkins. Woolley
and Parkins had good chances in the dying seconds of the game.
After the game John McGinlay refused to be too disheartened he said, "apart
from the hat trick there was not a lot in it. The lad's scored one of the best
hat tricks you are likely to see. It was not really a 3-0 game. People will
look at the result and think we got hammered, but we didn't. We stuck at it
but they were better on the day than us.
"This has been a real eye opener for some of my team and a good gauge for us.
Whoever finishes above Halesowen will be promoted. One good thing was when Parkins
came on. He held the ball up and I was also encouraged by the fact that we looked
the stronger side at the end. That shows how good our fitness is, we just have
to work on our sharpness now, but the more games the players play together the
better it will get".
Halesowen Town (2) 3
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorers: Giddings 6, 36, 51.
Halesowen Town: Clarke, Skidmore, Burnham, Knight, Collins, N Smith,
Hall, Giddings, May (G Smith 80), Taylor (Spencer 64), Crawford.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck (Hautin 67), Cheetham, Allcock, Woolley,
Evans, Westwood, Green, Kitching, Shaw (Parkins 45), Bedward (Wardle 67).
Rovers
Star Man: Stuart Evans - solid in defence.
Referee: C D Sarginson (Rugeley).
Attendance: 479
