Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Redditch United
Woolley to the rescue
Manager
John McGinlay made several changes to the side that faced Bloxwich United on
Wednesday.
In came skipper Stuart Evans and Alex Green after both passing late fitness
tests replacing Lee Westwood and Shaun Bedward.
Nick Kennerdale was unavailable for selection and Jon Jenkinson filled his
place.
The game had hardly started before the referee had to speak to Redditch's Richard
Field after a rash tackle on Green.
On 11 minutes Jenkinson got round the back of a static defence but the visitor's
keeper Harvey Willetts easily cut out his resulting cross at the near post.
Two
minutes later the keeper made an unconvincing attempt to punch the ball clear
from Green's right wing corner that Barry Woolley headed toward the goal. Woolley's
attempt was charged down and a second attempt cleared off the line by Field.
The home side were now beginning to dominate the first half and on 18 minutes
another chance went begging for Rovers as a cross from Andy Cheetham found Jenkinson
in space but his shot went over the bar.
Paul Danks made what was a rare attempt on goal for Redditch when he fired
high from 25-yards on 26 minutes.
The visitors then made the home keeper James Lindley make what was his only
save of the match on 32 minutes when he had to turn Cartwright's 25-yard drive
round the post.
On 38 minutes Rovers had another chance to take the lead when Cheetham's cross
was tipped out only as far as Matt Moran whose close range shot was kicked off
the line by Nigel Nibblett.
It was Gresley again who took control at the beginning of the second half and
on 50 minutes was awarded a free kick for a foul on Green just outside the box.
Ian Bluck hit a tremendous ball that cleared the defensive wall and was unlucky
to see his shot rebound of the bar.
The
bar was still quivering when two minutes later at the other end Bluck could
only turn Mark Swain's cross into his own net.
McGinlay then decided to freshen things up as Gresley went after an equaliser.
Craig Hanson came on for Moran and a few minutes later John Allcock for the
struggling Green.
Gresley began to find their form again and within minutes of the substitution
Allcock hit a vicious shot that was deflected for a corner.
Another substitute was involved with Gresley's deserved equaliser in the fourth
minute of stoppage time. Danny Lonergan who had come on for Jenkinson made a
fine run down the right wing and put in a superb cross that Woolley powered
into the visitors' net.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Redditch United (0) 1
Scorers: Bluck (og) 52, Woolley 90
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck, Cheetham, Peters, Woolley, Evans, Moran
(Hanson 60), Green (Allcock 66), Jenkinson (Lonergan 82), Parkins, Middleton.
Subs not used: Westwood, Clarke.
Redditch United: Willetts, Mitchell, Bradley, Field, Niblett, West,
Cartwright, Frost, Danks, Began (Dowling 75), Swann, Subs: Brown, Hackett, Campbell,
Jones.
Rovers
Star Man: Stuart Evans - led by example.
Referee: A Lindsay, Mansfield
Attendance: 302
