UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 14th October 2006, 3.00pm
Gresley and Buxton share the points
The two sides separated by the length of the county came together at the Moat Ground for this Derbyshire derby.
In an entertaining game both sides had chances to win all three points with the home side having most of them.
Gresley Rovers manager Gary Norton included three new players in the squad with Tom Groves and Dan Sleath both starting and former Moatman Lee Westwood on the bench.
It was Gresley who made the first chance of the match when only the width of a post denied them taking the lead on 12 minutes. A corner from the right taken by Groves was only half cleared back to him and he played the ball back into the box where Aaron O'Connor smashed a shot that beat Buxton keeper Scott Hartley but cannoned back off the base of the upright.
The Bucks responded and after Michael Towey had made his way to the left bye line he cut the ball back to Rob Ward but a superbly timed tackle from Nicky Carter robbed him of the ball before he could shoot.
The first of some controversial decisions from referee Terry Simmons came on 26 minutes. O'Connor was fouled as he got past Alvyn Riley but managed to keep his feet and the official gave the home side the advantage but O'Connor was then fouled again inside the area.
Much to the anger of the home supporters Mr Simmons blew his whistle not for the spot kick that was expected but for the earlier offence that had occurred just on the edge of the box. From the resultant free kick Paul Edwards could only put his header over the bar.
The Bucks then counter attacked and it took some fine defending from Dan Douglas to deny Mark Reed his moment of glory.
Matt Millns deflected a cross from Jordan Hall on 37 minutes that looked goal bound but Gresley keeper Tommy Whittle managed to get a hand to the ball and push it away to safety.
Gresley came out looking determined and had another chance after just two minutes of the start of the second period when a corner from the left from Groves found O'Connor but his shot went just wide.
On 52 minutes Sleath played O'Connor through and as the striker burst into the box Hartley did extremely well to block the shot at his near post.
Hartley was in action again four minutes later when Groves got onto the end of a ball that looked as if it was going out for a goal kick at the far post but another good block by the keeper denied the debutant.
O'Connor was looking dangerous and on 57 minutes he beat his marker Westley Milnes but again fired wide.
Another controversial decision by Mr Simmons came on 67 minutes and this time it was Buxton who were denied what looked like a good shout for a penalty. The ball was clearly handled by Gresley skipper Colin Hoyle on the line but the official adjudged that the defender's shirt had been tugged just before and awarded the home side a free kick.
The two Gresley new boys had chances to open their account. The first on 68 minutes when Groves headed over Carter's cross and then Sleath brought out another fine save from Hartley as the keeper pushed a stinging shot wide for a corner.
Yet another controversial decision by the referee came when Whittle had rushed well out of his area to try and clear a dangerous ball down the left but didn't manage it. Paul Walker fired a shot that the Buck supporters thought had been handled again in the box by Hoyles but their protests were more out of desperation as the ball clearly hit the defender just below his waist.
On 71 minutes probably Buxton's best chance of the game came from a corner taken by substitute Michael Blythen. The ball came very nicely for Anton Foster who headed the ball over the bar when very well placed.
Buxton then fired in a couple of long-range shots that Whittle dealt with quite comfortably but it was again the home side that went closest to breaking the dead lock. On 78 minutes Carl Slater made a superb run through the middle of the park before unleashing a thunderous shot from 25-yards that beat Hartley but unfortunately hit the underside of the bar and bounced away to safety.
With the visitors looking like they'd settled for a point Gresley had two more chances to take all three. With the ninety minutes ended O'Connor fired straight at Hartley and then substitute Ravi Sangha was put through by a great ball from Andy Simpson but the shot, heading for the far top corner, was superbly tipped away by the keeper.
Manager's View
"You wake up on the morning of a match day wondering what you are going to get out of the side at the moment. At the minute consistency is the key and I've just asked the question in there (dressing room).
"Let's not get carried away with a fine clean sheet, battling performance it could have gone either way because it was a very tight game. A point today and a clean sheet are very pleasing after the erratic form of late - so yes I'm pleased with that.
"I was pleased with Colin Hoyle on his return. He started just a little bit off the pace - he lost one or two headers early doors but after that first five or six minute mark he nailed everything - he organised, he shepherded, he got us out.
"Matt Millns as well has had a very solid game at the back. I was very pleased with my two full backs particularly in the second half. Nicky had an average game in the first half and he certainly made a big improvement in the second half and was a lot more solid and let's not forget that he's dropping back in there to cover us at the moment - I was quite pleased defensively and with the midfielders as well, they worked their socks off today.
"I'm surprised Mick (Curry) has got any hair left. The referee made some strange decisions today for both sides. There were a couple of shouts for a penalty. The second one Colin Hoyle assures me - the one after my keeper's gone on a kamikaze run - that the ball hit him in the midriff and he didn't handle it. The first one he did handle but the referee spotted a little tug in the build up and on a lot of occasions the referee misses that sort of thing and points to the spot because he did hand ball it.
"I thought it was an even game and could have gone either way. They've had one or two good shouts and yet we've hit the woodwork twice and had a big chance from Ravi (Sangha) to write his name into the Gresley super sub category but it wasn't quite to be. Probably on reflection and balance of the game nil-nil or a point apiece was a fair result.
"I was about to shout to Carl don't shoot from there but he caught it superbly well and I must admit that when it left his foot I thought it was going well over but it waived a bit and it dipped and it just caught the underside of the bar and bounced out - that's the sort of luck we're having at the moment.
"Aaron's shot, very sweet, in the first half hit the base of the post and on another day they might have gone in or we may have got the rebound but it was not to be, but yes it was a great strike from Slates. He has got that in the locker but the frustrating thing for me with Carl is that we want him to get things on target more. He's had a good game today - we've put pressure on people by bringing bodies in and I'm very pleased with my two new signings today on either flank.
"I think we've been crying out for someone naturally wide who wants the ball. I thought Danny Sleath had a fantastic game and he did really well. Tom (Groves) did really, really well and he's not had too much football lately and we felt that we would take him off but I was encouraged with both of those.
"Obviously we've got Lee (Westwood) who hasn't played for three weeks so we felt it was a little bit risky to start him and the move, putting Andy Simpson in the middle of the park was another positive from today. It just shows you what a crazy game football is because just seven days ago you're holding you're head wondering how we put that inept performance in.
"We have to get consistency and if we can put that sort of performance in on a more regular basis then we are going to get there but at the moment we've got to demonstrate that we can do it."
