UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 12th September 2006, 8.30pm
Moatmen's Misery Continues
The game was delayed by 45 minutes due to an accident on the M1 but it did not help Gresley as their dismal start to the season continued with a home defeat.
Things could have been different if the home side had taken their chances and also not been prone to some very sloppy defending.
Gresley were the first to threaten on 7 minutes when Shaun Ridgway fired a free kick just over the bar.
Seven minutes later Aaron O'Connor missed what can only be described a sitter after some good work between Ridgway and debutant Ady Francis. Francis was put clear by a superb pass from Ridgway and his pass found O'Connor in front of goal with the net gaping. However, last season's prolific striker completely missed his kick and the ball scuttled away for a goal kick.
The first of a number instances of poor defending almost cost the home side dear when David Dickenson robbed Gary White in a dangerous position and fed the ball through to Daniel Toronczak. With keeper Tommy Whittle committed to trying to beat the striker to the ball Toronczak won the race and sent over a cross that Dickenson could only shoot over when very well placed.
On 22 minutes O'Connor made a good run into the area only for his hard low shot to be well held at the base of the near post by Michael Clarke.
Gresley's failure to keep a clean sheet was evident again on 28 minutes when the visitors took the lead. A free kick taken by David Syers was only half cleared and allowed Kyle Cook to control the ball before looping a shot over Whittle and into the net.
Nick Ghislanzoni, also making his Gresley debut, gave the ball away to Dickinson, who found Toronczak in acres of space, but with only Whittle to beat from the edge of the box could only put his shot wide of the far post.
Carl Slater went close on 35 minutes but his scorching 30-yard shot skimmed the bar.
As the half drew to an end O'Connor went close twice when his shot flew across the face of the goal and then seconds later when his shot was blocked by keeper Clarke and the rebound hitting Stephen West and going agonisingly the wrong side of the post.
Gresley were on terms within 3 minutes of the start of the second period. Slater's pass sent Francis down the left and when it looked certain that he would pass to fellow striker O'Connor in the middle, he unleashed a superb curling shot that bear Clarke and flew into the far top corner of the net.
Unfortunately this was a false dawn for the home side as Gresley looked determined give away the points.
On 54 minutes Whittle raced from his line only to beaten to the ball by Toronczak yet again and it almost lead to the visitors regaining the lead but the final shot went over the inviting empty net.
The visitors didn't have too long to wait for the lead when on 61 minutes a quick break by Albion has Gresley pressed saw Michael Senior send Dickinson scurrying down the left. His cross was headed powerfully home by the unmarked Toronczak.
On 63 minutes Andy Simpson went close to getting Gresley back on terms but his header, from Gary White's free kick, went just wide. And two minutes later it was O'Connor heading wide at the far post this time from a Ridgway cross.
With Gresley pressing forward searching for that elusive equaliser, Albion almost grabbed a third but a shot from Senior was well blocked.
Time was not on Gresley's side and with just six minutes left keeper Clarke kept his side in front by pulling off a superb save by pushing O'Connor's goal bound shot away for a corner.
Albion, who had an awful trip down to the Midlands at least had a joyous journey home with three points under their belts leaving Gresley wondering when their next victory would materialise.
Manager's View
"I can't give you my honest opinion. Obviously we are not happy. We started the game reasonably well but we'd been hanging about bit with them not arriving until half past eight. They'd been sitting on a coach for a few hours so the preparation was difficult for both sides.
"I felt for the first twenty minutes we looked fairly sharp. We were probing and we'd had a decent start to the game - things flashed by. They got the goal when we switched off and allowed them time and space in the box. You could see heads go down and confidence drain out of a lot of the players, not all of them. And then we proceeded to serve up some very poor fare for the rest of the half.
"It was a great strike by Ady Francis to get us back in the game and you think here we go now we've got the platform to try and get the ball down, try and work it and create some openings and go on and win the game. It didn't happen did it?
"We said at half time that we were trying to force things and we had a situation for the second goal were we've not used the width, we've turned back into trouble the full back was on the overlap a ball down the side of our defence - not quite made it - a cross over - man free in the six yard box to head home.
"That's the story of our season so far - sloppy goals. But then we did not look to get the ball down to create openings and players were hiding behind the fact that they just wanted to get the ball forward as quickly as possible.
"There are times in matches and in periods of the season were you do need to go a little more direct but at home on a fairly decent surface this time of year our brand is to try and play football and build from midfield. We didn't get the opportunity to do that today because we were trying to force it and it was not the sort of football I want to be associated with. With twenty, twenty-five minutes left in the game if we could just put some football together we are more than capable of getting back in the game and going on to win it.
"All credit to Ossett they've put in a great away performance and gone away with the points and left us with some more headaches.
"It is now a concern. Four points from six games is nowhere good enough; absolutely not good enough. Call it a play off headache, call it what you will. I try not to refer back to last season because that was then but we haven't become a bad side over night and I keep saying that. We haven't become bad coaching staff over night we're just not clicking yet. We will tinker and change until we get the right blend and balance of players in. If that means taking the team apart one by one and putting it back together with players who listen and learn and have quality. The effort was there tonight but not the quality. I mean that throughout the side.
"There's two or three players who have come out of the game with some credit but an awful lot haven't because the quality was awful at times. We expect more and the players concerned can produce and deliver more.
"We've had a long and honest chat in the dressing room and we are now looking for people who want to be part of things to stand up and be counted and those who don't want to toe the line you will see departing in the next few weeks whether it be their choice or ours.
"We took Shaun Ridgway off because he looked tired because he'd worked very, very hard and in our opinion he was struggling a little bit. His head went down a little bit as a result of the second goal, He'd made some good runs but we wanted to get some fresh legs on and to be fair it could have been one of several players that could have come off. But, we chose Shaun whether rightly or wrongly and it wasn't like we were putting someone on who was untried and tested. Jamie Barrett went on and we switched things a little bit to try and get us back into the game. Then at the end we put Gommy (Steve Gomm) up front and see what drops for us. It's at that stage in the last ten minutes or so that you play the ball long. Most sides do it. Go long, go direct and see what drops.
"But even when things were dropping on the edge in and around the box we weren't first, we weren't on our toes, we weren't gambling, we weren't alert. They were first to everything. Lots of second and third balls tonight Ossett were first to all over the park and we've got to be on the front foot. Confidence might be a problem because we haven't had the best results of late but I remain confident, Mick and Tony remain confident that we will get it right and as long as players are willing to listen and work hard I'm sure we will.
"Obviously, we are in a bit of a hole at the moment, we've got to pull together and try and get out of it.
"I thought Ady did okay tonight. His touch let him down a bit but he's not had many games just recently. He's got pace but he's got to work on his touch but that will come with more games. He scored a cracking goal - he's a big lad and we want him to put himself around a little bit more but that's going to come with games. Work rate, I though he was tireless tonight, he worked very hard and closed down but of course he was going to be a little bit off it fitness wise. We did consider taking him off but then he had a little spell were he looked like he might give us something towards the end so we were fairly pleased with him.
"Nick Guislanzoni was okay in patches but there is a little bit more fitness to come from him in terms of playing a couple of steps up. We know he's more than capable and he will be a good asset to the squad. Carl Slater played well. He will run through a brick wall for Gresley Rovers and we could do with a few more like that."
