UniBond League Division One
Lambeth Stadium, Woodley
Saturday, 20th January 2007, 3.00pm
Rovers grab a point at Sports
Gresley included striker Ravi Sangha, back after missing the last couple of months due to work commitments and former player midfielder Karl Brown for their trip to Lambeth Stadium.
The visitors made a good start to the game and could have taken a very early lead when on 2 minutes Woodley keeper Don Ingram-Hughes' clearance seemed to be held up in the wind and fell to Paul Edwards who fired an instant shot back that just missed the post.
The play went to the other end where Tom Bane and Callum Flanagan combined well to give Mario Sergio-Daniel a chance that he blazed over the cross bar.
Gresley skipper Colin Hoyle then had his shot headed off the line by Daniel Douglas-Pringle after connecting with Tom Groves' corner.
On 8 minutes Dan Douglas went close to giving Woodley when he tried to block Russell Headley's cross only to see the ball head goalwards thankfully going wide of the far post.
From the resulting corner a shot from Sergio-Daniel after being played a short ball from Adam Morning was well saved at his near post by Gresley keeper Tommy Whittle.
The home side went close again with Morning firing wide and then having a number of shots blocked before Douglas-Pringle hit his shot wide.
Ingram-Hughes was tested at the other end on 20 minutes tipping Liam Hebberd's stinging volley over the bar.
Gresley were denied a penalty for the second game running when Clive Brown pushed the ball away with his hands as he tried to clear Groves' corner but the referee waved away the appeals.
It was a lively game despite the stiff breeze with action at both ends and on 27 minutes Sergio-Daniel brought out another fine save from Whittle. Barry Woolley then went close putting a header wide of the far post from a Shaun Ridgeway free-kick.
Edwards tried his luck with a long-range effort that Ingram-Hughes caught at the second attempt and Carl Slater firing a long range effort inches over the bar.
The first half finished as it started with efforts at both ends. A fine cross from Morning found Danny Queeley who should have done much better but could only put his header into Whittle's arms. In response Shaun Ridgway was denied by Ingram-Hughes who pushed the long-range shot round the post.
Gresley started the second period going close when another good save from the home keeper denied Hebberd at the near post.
Minutes later Ridgway and Groves combined well to set up Edwards but his shot from distance was saved. Edwards had another chance on 57 minutes when Hebberd and Mark Smith set him up but he fired his shot wide of the target.
Home substitute Carlo Dilibero laid on a chance for Flanagan but he fired straight at Whittle when well placed.
At the other end, Edwards headed a Groves corner wide of the far post and Hebberd spoilt a good run through the middle by putting his shot over the bar.
Manager's View
"I thought we shaded it over the two halves in terms of chances. In the first half, we had the upper hand and I thought we created some very good chances and their keeper made three or four good saves.
"It would have been nice to have come away with a win away from home, but it was probably a fair result."