UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 31st March 2007, 3.00pm
Rovers and Bay Share the Points
Gresley Rovers manager Gary Norton brought in six new faces in the match against Colwyn Bay with four of them starting the game.
Young keeper Tom Allan was given his first team debut with David Clarke failing to pass a fitness test just before the kick off.
Bay are hoping to sneak into the play-off spots and on 14 minutes they tested Allan when Robbie Williams played Darren right through but the ball went wide and he was forced to make a shot from an acute angle that Allan blocked and then collected at the second attempt.
Debutant Chris Archer who is to join Burton Albion in pre-season showed just why he's got the attention of their manager. On 19 minutes he sent his marker the wrong way and from the edge of the area curled a superb shot past Bay's keeper Zac Hibbert and into the top corner.
Allan did well again to deny Neil Black by pushing the low shot around a post. However, he could do nothing to prevent Bay from getting back on level terms. On 30 minutes a free kick from John Boardman was only half cleared by Barry Woolley to Olaolu Olanipekun who was robbed of the ball on the edge of the box by Bay's John Lawless. The cross was perfect for Tim Brandreth unmarked at the far post who headed home.
Three minutes later Archer almost got Rovers back into the lead when he played a one-two with Olanipekun but then flashed his shot across the face of goal but agonisingly just past the far post.
On 38 minutes Bay were grateful to their skipper Neal Coverley who managed to clear Shaun Ridgway's low shot off the line with Hibbert beaten.
Against the run of play Bay took the lead. Woolley slipped as he tried to clear the ball and it fell very kindly for Lawless to curl a long-range shot into the far corner with Allan rooted to the spot.
Rovers started brightly with Paul Edwards firing over and Woolley putting a header straight at Hibbert within a couple of minutes of the re-start.
Pat Bannister, also making his debut, then went close on 54 minutes. Edwards got a flick on the ball and it fell to Bannister who smashed a shot over Hibbert who just managed to get a fingertip on the ball to send it up in the air before catching it.
Bay hit back and another slip by Woolley allowed Lawless to cut into the area on the right and fire a goal bound shot that Allan brilliantly tipped over.
On 63 minutes Rovers were level when Hibbert failed to get anywhere near a Ridgway free kick and Woolley was on hand to smash home the loose ball and give his side a fully deserved share of the points.
Bay could have nicked an unlikely winner when Alex Kevan met Boardman's free kick but put his header wide.
Manager's View
"I was dead pleased with that performance considering it was a very bold move to throw six new signings into a squad of fourteen and to start with four of them.
"With some of the games we've played this year it was a risk worth taking. If it backfired then it couldn't have been much worse than some of the performances we've witnessed here this season.
"Every player had a big effect today old and new. Dead pleased with the new lads with the way they've come in. There are things we can work on without a shadow of a doubt but there were lots of positives.
"Dead pleased with the way we played in the first half. We played arguably some of the best football since the turn of the year and we were very unfortunate to go in two one down. I've been in losing situations before feeling a lot different to what I did at half time. It was very positive, all the players were positive and it was really down to little bits of misjudgement and an error by Barry Woolley on the stroke of half time.
"We said to the lads we believe we can go out there and get the equaliser and go on and win the game and I felt we had the chances to do that.
"The heads didn't drop when we went two one down and that that was a really good thing and that was the affect of the new lads coming in because they haven't been around the place of late and in recent weeks. So, from their point of view we've gone a goal down so what! Let's get on with it let's get the ball. Particularly even the more established players recognised that we'd played some decent football and created the better of the chances against a very good Colwyn Bay side I might add that have only been beaten once in the last nine or ten games.
"So, there were lots of positives especially from that first half. Second half I was pleased Barry got the equaliser because he tripped over back pedalling for the ball and twisted his ankle and as he went down he stuck a leg out to kick the ball and it went straight to their guy who finished very well - Tom Allan didn't have much chance. He was superb today. At 1.30pm he was at the Old Hall preparing to play for the Youth Team and Dave Clarke failed his fitness test and Tom was brought in and did very well.
"For me the star of the show was Chris Mawbey, fantastic today, man-of-the-match on top of some very good performances out there today. Chris stood out like a beacon and I'm very enthused by the impact Chris has had since he's come into the first team.
"Chris Archer's goal was a good finish. He's probably used to tidier football, more quality football where he's come from but today he's show he can scrap and he can battle. We speak earlier before the game about the quality he was going to get and the battle he was going to get into. For saying he didn't know anyone and we've not had chance to work on things he took his goal very, very well. He turned his marker inside out before getting it onto his right foot and it was a very composed finish to stick it into the corner. I was delighted with him today as with the others.
"Oli Olanipekun was superb. We've been crying out for a wide man who wants the ball, who will go at defenders or go past defenders and put quality crosses into the box and it was lovely to see some of the Gresley supporters in the stand getting to their feet when he got the ball because he's a very exciting player.
"Pat Bannister worked very, very hard and he's gutted in the dressing room because nine times out of ten he'd have put his chance away. He is a front man who can also play in wide areas and he played wide for us today and did very, very well and worked hard. Nick Hawkins put him in and he had the chance to finish and unfortunately he didn't manage to but I was very encouraged by him.
"We were a bit worried by Barry's ankle so we brought Russell Courtney on and it looked like he'd been with us all season - very composed. When he heads a ball it stays headed and he's very quick as well; I didn't realise how quick.
"Nick Hawkins turned an ankle but he showed grit and determination by staying on because we'd used our subs. He's done well and some of his passing in the first half especially getting the ball out wide was good. Nick has got that talent and creativity we've been lacking.
"There were some very positive signs for the remaining seven matches."
