UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 19th August 2006, 3.00pm
Opening day draw for the Moatmen
Gresley Rovers started their new UniBond One season with a hard won point at home against a stubborn and well-marshalled Brigg Town.
Debuts were given to skipper Colin Hoyle and defender Dan Douglas with Ravi Sangha resuming his Gresley career after a break of five years.
It was the visitors who made the first attempt at goal of the game but John Eyre could only fire wide after just 7 minutes after Nicky Carter had only half cleared the ball.
Both sides were playing a cagey game and it wasn't until 21 minutes that another chance appeared this time for the home side. A corner from the left by Carl Slater found Jamie Barrett at the far post but his first time shot sailed just over the bar.
Probably the best chance of the first half fell to Aaron O'Connor four minutes later when a very poor back header from Alex Allen fell woefully short allowing O'Connor to take up the ball and lob the keeper who had come off his line - unfortunately the attempt just cleared the bar and landed on top of the net.
There was just one more chance of note in the first half that fell to David Holmes who could not control his shot after Town's keeper Damien Steer had pushed Gary White's cross into the midfielder's path.
Brigg were quickly out of the blocks for the second half and were in the lead after just four minutes of the resumption.
Gresley were caught napping when a throw found Paul Grimes; his cross was met by Dan Hope who had managed to get in between the home back line before volleying the ball past Tommy Whittle and into the top corner from 10 yards.
On 57 minutes O'Connor went close with a shot from the left that flashed across Steer's goal and skimming the wrong side of the far post.
It was then Gary White's turn to flash a shot marginally wide of the mark before the action turned to the other end. Grimes should have done much better but fired his shot well over the bar when well placed.
On 71 minutes O'Connor, looking more and more menacing, again went close this time firing a shot that cleared the bar from the edge of the box.
Brigg were not sitting back on their lead and could have doubled their lead a minute later when Town's skipper Steve Housham sent a superb cross field ball that cleared Gary White and landed perfectly for Grimes. The striker again beat White and fired a low shot that beat Whittle and was unlucky to see his shot crash against the base of the post.
Gresley needed something special to get something from the game against a well-ordered Brigg side and it came from last season's top scorer O'Connor.
On 73 minutes he collected a pass with his back to goal halfway inside the Town half, turned and left defender Craig Stones easily in his wake down the right. The striker ran into the box before hitting a simply stunning shot past Steer and into the far top corner of the net.
Gresley could have stolen all three points, which in all honesty would have been totally unjust, right on the final whistle but Steer made a superb save to deny O'Connor.
Manager's View
"I think from being a goal down and going into the last third of the game I'm relieved. We are frustrated in the dressing room. Make no bones about it Brigg are a good side; they've strengthened well in the summer. I had a very good chat with their manager before the game and they've brought some experience in and they are a difficult side.
"I felt first half we just shaded it on chances but second half they just shaded it with the two clear-cut chances they had when we were chasing the game just after we'd gone a goal down. Then Aaron scored the hardest one - it was an absolute cracking finish from him. But, we had two or three semi-near things where stuff has flashed across the box or if we'd have had people just a little further forward they may have got a toe in or something.
"Chasing the game they've had two opportunities to get that second and what probably would have been the killer goal. We rode our luck and they've flashed over the bar and we've managed to nick a goal. If anyone was going to nick it in the final stages I felt it was going to be us, then Tom, deep into injury time had to make a cracking save and his reactions to get the rebound was superb to be fair and it was a point each. On reflection it was a fair result so I'm reasonably happy but we know we are not clicking yet.
"It's frustrating as a manager because you see things from individuals in pre-season friendlies and you like what you see but it's fair to say we haven't really clicked in pre-season in any sustained manner in games but there have been some positive signs.
"I thought today we started a little cagey and looked a little bit nervous. I was disappointed in our reaction to second balls and sometimes third balls. Brigg seemed to want things a little bit more with more urgency to respond to little bits and bobs that were dropping and they were getting control of the game and putting us on the back foot.
"I was quite pleased with how we came out in the second half, after the goal, for the first ten or fifteen minutes. But, then when we went chasing the game we did leave space at the back. The goal was very disappointing - we've talked all season about communication and the number four made a very, very late run. I would expect one of the forwards to at least track back but if not make one of his team mates aware. He (the number four) has ghosted into the box completely unmarked and they've put pressure on us from the throw and he's finished it well to be fair - it's coming down on the volley and I think he should consider going up at the other end he can put it away like that!
"That was disappointing, the communication for the goal and our reactions leading up to it, but we showed good scrapping spirit. We didn't play flowing football in the second half but at least we showed we were up for a fight. The quality wasn't there but there was plenty of encouragement in terms of the battling and they're the sort of qualities we are going to need because it's a long season. But there will be plenty of sides that Brigg will cause problems for this year.
"Aaron popped up trumps again. He looks sharp, he looks fit, he looks hungry some of his work rate off the ball as well, his defending was superb and he's got himself a great goal today. They defended reasonably well against him today and restricted him to a few half opportunities but with a bit more luck... he had a sitter in the first half and he'll be disappointed in that one where he's lifted it over the keeper and looked certain to score. But, he's off the mark and we are glad he's a Gresley Rovers player, he's fully focused and the only thing in his mind is doing well for Gresley and hopefully he can build on this start and we also need a few others to build on this performance and improve against Stocksbridge.
