Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Shepshed Dynamo
Determination wins the day
Chris
Parkins will not score a more fortunate goal than the one that gave Gresley
a well-earned victory against local rivals Shepshed Dynamo.
In an attempt to clear the ball Shepshed's Tom Goodwin hit the ball at Parkins
who was delighted to see the ball come off his shins and sail past the visitor's
keeper into the bottom corner of the net.
That sort off luck was sure to come for a side who has had more than their
fair share of bad luck in the first few games of the season.
Gresley saw the return of Stuart Evans in the centre of the defence and the
influential Richard Wardle taking the left back position. John Allcock was pushed
up into the midfield alongside new signing Paul Fletcher and Matt Moran returned
after injury.
The home side started the brighter and looked the most likely to score with
Andy Bourne having two great chances one saved by the keeper when put through
by Ian Bluck and then a shot just wide after Parkins had provided the cross.
On 19 minutes Danny McDermott gave the visitors a chance on goal but home keeper
James Lindley tipped the swerving shot onto the bar.
Rovers then had another couple of chances to open the scoring when Moran saw
his shot palmed away by Dean Thomas and Bourne failing to capitalise on a one-on-one
with the keeper letting the ball run too far ahead and allowing the Thomas to
gather.
The busy Bourne was unlucky to have a penalty appeal turned down after it looked
as if he had been brought down in the area.
The second half started the same as the first with Gresley pouring forward
despite the torrential rain that had hit the Moat Ground.
Kennerdale
went close on 47 minutes after picking up a Bourne pass, beating Matt Simpson
but putting his shot wide.
On 49 minutes ex-Moatman Kirk Master then put the hearts of the home fans into
their mouths when he picked up the ball from a throw-in and unleashed a cracking
volley which left Lindley stranded only to see it hit the bar and away to safety.
The visitor's keeper then denied Kennerdale who then had a shot hit the side
netting as Gresley applied more pressure.
Perhaps the turning point of the match was when McGinlay brought on Chris Gray
against his former club in place of Moran on 65 minutes and he seemed to bring
a more determined effort to his team-mates. But on 70 minutes Shepshed took
the lead against the run of the play when Master and Lee McGlinchey linked well
together on the left and McGlinchey's cross was put into his own net by Evans.
This time instead of giving up, Gresley stepped up a gear.
Gray began to influence the middle of the park and was unlucky on 71 minutes
when some fine work by Ian Bluck from the back passed to Gray on the edge of
the area. Gray steadied himself and placed a shot wide of the keeper who did
well to get a hand to the ball and push it away for a corner.
Gray then provided the pass to Bourne whose resulting shot on the turn was
cleared off the line by Adam Stevens on 74 minutes.
Gresley still pressed for the equaliser and it came in somewhat controversial
circumstances
On 80 minutes Parkins played an inch perfect ball wide through to Bourne on
the right. Bourne then got in a cross just before being heavily tackled by the
defender Simpson. The referee seemed to wave play on and allowed Kennerdale
to run in on goal to try and reach the loose ball. However, referee David Allcock
amazingly blew his whistle and pointed to the spot in what looked like a harsh
decision.
Man of the match Richard Wardle stepped forward placed the ball on the spot
and made no mistake in sending the Shepshed keeper the wrong way for a deserved
equaliser.
Then on 87 minutes a goal Parkins is unlikely to score again for a long while.
Bourne had threaded a ball through the middle for Parkins to run onto but the
striker's first touch was poor and the ball ran ahead of him.
The
Shepshed skipper, Tommy Goodwin attempted to clear the ball and was gutted to
see the ball rebound off the Gresley striker's shins past the despairing dive
of Thomas and into the net.
Gray could have capped a fine display but his effort was pushed away by Thomas
in the dying second of the match.
John McGinlay's side has on many occasions this season dominated games and
got nothing but on this time with the help of a little luck got the three points
that will hopefully kick-start their season.
The manager's view of the game
"For a change we had a bit of luck today. I think we deserved it on the whole,
when you look at the clear-cut chances that were made they favoured us by a
good few.
Towards the end of the game their keeper made some very good saves.
Chris Gray came on and sparked us off and I thought we looked pretty solid
as a team throughout.
The new signing Fletcher in the middle of the park had a steady debut rather
than spectacular one. He did everything; he had a good touch on the ball and
gave the ball simply to another player. That's what you want when we have possession
he doesn't give the ball away, he just gets it and gives it and I think there
is a lot more to come from him because apart fro Wednesday's game he had not
played with the lads.
He's gone out today and was a wee bit nervous. The one thing I like about him
is that he just gets the ball and does not try the hard things like other people
do he just gets it down and passes to the nearest man and we keep possession.
And from an attacking point of view there's more to come from him.
I though Matt Moran had a good game as well today. He had one very good chance
in the first half and in each game he plays he's doing more things, he's coming
on.
I thought Richard Wardle was outstanding today, head and shoulders above anyone
else on the park and when we got the penalty I was glad to see that Richard
was to take it.
Overall I thought we deserved to win and hopefully that bit of luck when the
ball came back off Chris Parkins and into the net will change things for us.
We need another 3 points on the board quickly, hopefully at Bedworth on Tuesday.
We've won one now and the last time we won we lost the next game. I hope this
time things will be different."
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Shepshed Dynamos (0) 1
Scorers: Wardle 80 (pen), Parkins 83 (Gresley Rovers); Evans (og) 70 (Shepshed)
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck, Wardle, Allcock, Woolley, Evans, Bourne,
Fletcher (Westwood 87), Kennerdale, Parkins, Moran (Gray 65). Sub not used:
Fairbrother.
Shepshed Dynamo: Thomas, Stevens, Simpson, Goodwin, Mintus, Holtom,
McDermott, Folwell (Tallents 77), Tanner, McGlinchey, Master (Commander 75).
Sub not used: Erith
Rovers
Star Man: Richard Wardle - Agree with the Manager, outstanding.
Referee: D Adcock (Long Eaton)
Attendance: 346
