UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 30th September 2006, 3.00pm
Stags overrun the Moatmen
Gresley Rovers' defensive frailty was evident for all to see as they gifted Rossendale a four goal tally that in all honesty could or rather should have been more.
The Stags put Gresley on the back foot almost from the off and the home side could not really recover from the first sucker punch.
With just two minutes on the clock Chris Mackay couldn't believe his luck as the Gresley defence backed off allowing him the time and space to run at least 25 yards into the oppositions half pick his spot before unleashing an unstoppable shot that flew into the top corner giving the stunned keeper Tommy Whittle no chance.
Two minutes later Aaron O'Connor's cross was just in front of Ravi Sangha who couldn't get the vital touch.
O'Connor did get his side level on 15 minutes. A through ball from Jamie Barrett released Sangha whose cross was excellently controlled by O'Connor before blasting the ball past Stags keeper James Salisbury.
If the supporters thought this was the turning point of the game they were to be bitterly disappointed as it proved to be a false dawn.
O'Connor did get another half chance on 29 minutes but his shot on the turn was well held by Salisbury.
Rossendale began to turn the screw and it took a well-timed tackle from Barrett to deny Neil Zarac from putting the visitors back into the lead.
On 37 minutes Dene Whittle-Williams was again given the freedom of the Moat Ground but this time his header went just over the bar.
However, they did not have long to wait for the lead as Gresley's poor defending handed them a gift of a goal. Phil Edghill, proving to be a thorn in the side of the home defence, easily made his way down the right before sending over a cross for Zarac in acres of open space to tap the ball into an empty net at the far post.
The half was ended with another Rossendale goal as again the defence failed to mark Edghill who powered in his header.
A Tom Betteridge cross from the left gave Gresley an early second half chance of getting back into the game but Ady Francis flicked a header wide when well placed.
Rossendale grabbed their fourth of the game on 52 minutes. Awarded a free kick Edghill sent over a cross into the box where Whittle-Williams powered home his header with the home defence nowhere to be seen.
The Gresley defence was in complete disarray and a mix-up between Whittle and defender Matt Millns almost ended in a fifth for the visitors. Whittle appeared to have had a cross covered but Millns deciding to try and head the ball away instead headed the ball against his own bar.
On 79 minutes Zarac almost got his second of the game but he hit his shot straight at Whittle.
One of the few second half chances for the home side fell to Francis who brought out a superb save from the former Kendal keeper as he fired a goalbound shot from substitute Steve Gomm's cushioned header.
The final say came from Rossendale as they almost ended a comprehensive win with another goal but first the bar prevented Dave Eatock and then Whittle denied the same player when he saved the shot from the rebound.
Manager's View
"I think I've gone on record saying there's a long way to go yet. There is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel on the injury front and today we thought that if we could just get through today and dig a result our at home building on the confidence from the last two games the six points had given us then we knew we have a few players due back next week.
"Unfortunately when we have a twenty minute spell like we did in the first half then it puts us totally on the back foot and almost out of the game.
"Rossendale did the basics and we didn't. We've torn it down to the level of detail we need to in the dressing room and it's the same things week in week out that we detailing with the players. There are a lot of players in there (the dressing room) who are experienced players and have been around a bit and have played at this level for a long time and it's the basics they are not doing working hard off the ball, tracking our men and getting into peoples faces and stopping them playing, squeezing out from the back, staying organised, we're tight, we're talking, we're communicating.
"Look at the goals today, to be fair it could have been more than four, the first one we've not pressed the man from 25-yards out. We shouted from the bench to press the ball, press the ball and he's had a shot from 25-yards because we've not closed him down. The second goal he's got passed us in our left back position he sends over the cross and their guy will not have an easier tap-in than that with nobody marking in the box. It was far too easy to get beyond us and get the cross in in the first place. The third goal we've cleared our lines, nobody has made an attempt to squeeze us out from the back another five or ten yards and the ball's been delivered in and another free headed goal. The fourth one, having said that the response that we got we had a good chance to make it three two early in the second half and we didn't take it and then we conceded another very sloppy goal from a set play. We are not going to win matches giving basic goals like that away.
"We created a fair few chances in the second half but when you're four one down it's irrelevant isn't it.
"Gary White had to go off with an injured back. He had declared himself fit and as a manager you're pulling your hair out because you just do not know what you're going to get from one game to another injury wise. It just seems that the harder we try at the minute the more injuries we pick up. People have asked why we don't play a back four but we haven't got the personnel. We have got Dan Douglas coming back for Monday and we have Tony Hemmings as a back up left back if needed. Obviously we've got Spencer out we've got Nick Carter who should have played his third game now and Nick is probably going to be available now but it is frustrating as a manager when a player declares himself fit and then goes down injured every game.
"We are operating on a tight budget but we are looking to bring players in all the time and I'm out on the road, when I'm not here, looking for new players. We've been pipped at the post by clubs from a higher division for a couple of players. Having said that we have got a lot of players to come back so we don't want to overload things.
"There were one or two players who worked for the ninety minutes today. Aaron kept going; Carl Slater just kept going to the end. His decision making wasn't the best but if you had eleven Carl Slaters out there in terms of effort and attitude you are then relying on players quality to step up to the plate and get you results.
"Maybe there were one or two more - Paul Edwards worked hard but the quality wasn't there from the other night but he worked hard. I may be doing one or two other players an injustice. We are not doing the basics right at the minute and as well as we were doing things previously the same players are making constant mistakes and we've got to get on the training ground and put that right.
"It's our job to do that and I understand the supporters frustrations but if anyone has read my programme notes today - it's a dig in and let's get behind it and see what happens. I firmly believe we will but we've got a hell of a long way to go and today has emphasised how much!
