Match Photos
Rocester vs Gresley Rovers
Romans take the points
This
was a scrappy affair with Rocester seemingly wanting to win the game more than
Rovers.
Only 6 minutes had gone when Gresley put together the first attack of the match
with Chris Parkins putting a low drive into the box with Richard Wardle just
failing to connect.
Then on 11 minutes came the only goal of the match. Ian Bluck cleared a ball
straight to Rocester midfielder Mark Fisher who put a ball through to Andy Bostock
who raced clear.
Rovers defence backed off him and allowed a "nothing" ball to find its way
to the far post where Nick Stark was waiting to put the ball past a stranded
James Lindley.
Rovers continued to search for an equaliser having most of the possession but
failed to finish off the chances created.
Both Barry Woolley and Alex Green had shots saved and Romans' keeper John Edensor
was alert to a shot by Wardle just pushing it around the post.
Andy Bourne could have made it two for the home side as he skipped around three
Rovers defenders but there was no-one to take advantage of his resulting low
cross.
On 35 minutes Stuart Evans prevented Rocester again when a superbly timed tackle
denied Alex Hook.
Rocester created little more before half-time but stopped Rovers playing their
fluent football by closing them down as they got the ball.
After the break Rocester began brightly with Richard Owen's attempt deflected
wide for a corner and Stark's glancing header from another corner flying wide
of the post.
Rovers were trying to play passing football and because of the heavy tackles
Rocester put in and the "up and under" clearances found themselves becoming
more frustrated as the game went on.
This frustration boiled over when Green was booked for a foul on Nick Anthony
after being provoked by rough tackling that the referee seemed to miss.
Woolley had two chances towards the end seeing a header cleared off the line
by Anthony and then Edensor tipping away the ball after a fine cross by Lee
Westwood.
On 83 minutes Gresley should have got their deserved equaliser. After a sustained
period of pressure, the home keeper raced out of his area to clear a ball but
it went only as far as Parkins who, seeing the keeper way out of his box, put
in a superb 25 yard lob which the keeper did well to get back and tip over his
bar.
The Manager's view of the game
"To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.
We have to hold our hands up and say we were out fought. They stuck to their
task to a man were as every time we received the ball they had 2 or 3 men closing
us down.
They (Rocester) are a good bunch of lads, they all worked hard for each other,
that's what we didn't do.
I said to my lads at half time you only get out of a game what you put into
it. They got nothing out of the first half, and they certainly got nothing out
of the second.
That just sums it up.
The biggest problem we've got is scoring goals; it's taking our chances.
The goal was terrible. The defence stood off him and let him pass the ball
through; he's passed three men!
It's a harmless nothing ball and it's ended up at the far post and the boy's
got a touch on it.
Apart from that and a header at the far post James Lindley, our keeper, hardly
had a save to make during the whole game.
But give Rocester credit they worked hard as a team and stopped us playing."
Rocester (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorer: Stark 11.
Rocester: Edensor, Myatt, Bostock, Hook, Fisher, Anthony, Bourne, Somerville,
Stark (Dematteo 64), Ede, Owen:
Subs not used: Grocutt, M Smith.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck (Bedward 61), Cheetham (Gray 88), Westwood,
Woolley, Evans, Wardle, Green, Shaw (Kitching 61), Parkins, Peters.
Rovers
Star Man: Stuart Evans - solid in defence yet again.
Referee: S Ainge (Walsall)
Attendance: 176
