Bass Charity Vase
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Monday, 24th July 2006, 7.45pm
Forest's finishing lessons
The difference between the two sides became apparent in the second half as Nottingham Forest gave their hosts a lesson in finishing in this first game of the Bass Charity Vase.
Those who had made the trip to the Moat Ground at least got their money's worth in an entertaining game, which resulted in eight goals.
The result was a little cruel on Gresley who for most of the game gave as good as they got and they could quite easily have been a couple of goals clear before Forest grabbed the lead against the run of play.
Gresley's first attempt came on 10 minutes but Paul Edwards could only flash his header wide of the post. A couple of minutes later David Holmes latched on to a mistake by the visiting defence and tried to lob the keeper who was off his line but it cleared the bar.
Carl Slater then put a shot just over and on 17 minutes Forest keeper Paddy Gamble did extremely well to get a finger to a shot from Steve Gomm and push the ball onto the bar.
Forest's first real chance came on 25 minutes when Gresley defender Colin Hoyle needed to put a dangerous cross over his own bar. It was from the resulting corner that Forest took the lead when John Paul Pittman powered in a header at the near post.
The visitors almost doubled their lead but Gresley keeper Steve Harris did well to deny Spencer Weir-Daley by diving down to his right to push the low hard shot away for a corner.
The play swung to the other end and on the half hour a superb move between Nicky Carter and Edwards ended with Gamble having to push the ball away for a corner. The corner was swung in deep by Gary White to Hoyle who headed the ball back towards over the box to where Holmes was waiting to head the ball into the net. It was no more than Gresley deserved for their endeavours.
Forest had one more go right at the end of the half but Harris again did well to push a shot from Pittman onto the post and away to safety.
Gresley manager Gary Norton made several changes for the second half bringing on Andy Simpson, Richard Lonsdale and Nick Hawkins for Matt Millns, David Holmes and Jamie Barrett but it was Forest who were quickest off the mark.
The lively Pittman went close on 50 minutes when he lobbed the onrushing Harris only to see his attempt come back off the bar. Two minutes later Forest were back in front when a low shot from Robert Hughes beat Harris.
Forest increased their lead just 3 minutes later when Felix Bastians got to the ball before Harris and knocked it home.
Shaw then made space for himself and fired a shot that just sailed over the bar but on 64 minutes Gresley reduced the deficit. A fine run through the middle by Hawkins ended with a low shot that Gamble failed to hold on to and Gresley substitute Ravi Sangha reacted quickest to stab the ball home from close range.
Forest's fourth goal came as the result of a moment of uncertainty from Gresley's defence allowing Pittam to slam the ball home.
On 69 minutes a stinging shot from Carter needed to be punched away by Gamble for a corner. Two minutes later a superb cross from Ludlow found Sangha in space on the left of the box but the final header went straight into the arms of the Forest keeper.
Sangha was again involved on 76 minutes this time he fired a thunderous shot that cleared the bar by a fraction.
On 79 minutes Gresley forced a corner swung in by White that found the head of Andy Simpson but again the ball was directed straight at the keeper. The keeper then launched a route one ball that Weir-Daley fastened on to giving Harris no chance with his shot.
The score was given a very unjust look about it when Forest added a sixth when Matt Thornhill powered home a terrific header from a corner.
Manager's View
"I thought it was a bit harsh on us, but it does reflect the quality we were up against.
"I was disappointed with some aspects of the second-half performance — the discipline and the shape went a bit with the introduction of players not used to our system.
We looked good going forward, but we need to work on defending set plays as two or three goals came from free-kicks and corners."
