UniBond League Division One
Llanelian Road, Old Colwyn, Conwy
Saturday, 14th April 2007, 3.00pm
Last Gasp Blow for Rovers
Gresley Rovers manager Gary Norton had to make changes to his team for the visit to Colwyn Bay.
Missing was skipper Colin Hoyle with a suspected broken foot, Russell Courtney with a shoulder injury, Nick Hawkins and Pat Bannister due to illness. Dan Douglas failed a fitness test just before the kick off due to a thigh injury.
Chris Mawbey started the game although he is still getting over illness and defender Barry Woolley played despite being ill during the previous night. Young keeper Tom Allan who is suffering from a shoulder injury bravely played the whole ninety minutes.
Norton named his assistant Mick Curry as a substitute along with Richard Askey who has recently returned from the USA.
The Moatmen, who had been on the back foot for the majority of the game, looked set to come away from with a share of the spoils until Wright beat goalkeeper Tom Allan with a right-foot shot from the edge of the area with time running out to maintain the home side's push for a play-off place.
Bay, who were looking to consolidate a play-off position, went on the attack straight from the off and went close when both Kenny Burgess and John Lawless just failed to get on the end of a Neil Black cross.
On 25 minutes, Woolley's half clearance found Black, who in turn found Burgess, but the final shot went wide.
Black should have opened the scoring for the home side a minute later when he beat the offside trap but with only Allan to beat managed to put his shot wide of the mark.
Allan was seeing most of the action and had to be alert making a terrific save to deny Alex Kevan.
Kevan went close again on 40 minutes, controlling the ball down before hitting a shot on the turn from 25 yards just wide.
The pressure on the Rovers defence continued into the second period and central defender Martyn Rowntree almost gifted the home side a goal but thankfully his header from a Lawless free kick went the right side of the post.
Rovers's problems were increased on 57 minutes when Woolley had to leave the field suffering from a hamstring injury.
Striker Paul Edwards dropped back into defence with Askey taking the front role.
On 68 minutes Allan kept Rovers in the game blocking Wright's shot with his legs.
Six minutes later Rovers had the chance to take the lead. Oli Olanipekun's cross was superbly controlled by Tony Hemmings in the box but Bay's keeper reacted quickly to smother the ball before Hemmings could shoot.
Just as Rovers looked to have done enough for a well-earned point Wright popped up to spoil the day for the visitors and send the home fans home delighted.
With just a minute remaining Kevan set up Wright with a clever flick, the striker turned and fired a low shot past Allan and into the net.
Manager's View
"I am not saying we deserved to win, but we put in a magnificent effort and I am gutted for the lads that we were denied a point in the final few minutes.
"Of the team that took the field, three of them would not have started. Chris Mawbey is still getting over a virus, Tom Allan played through the pain barrier with his shoulder injury, while Barry Woolley was sick four times in the night.
"At one stage in the first half I thought we were going to have to take Barry off. He got his second wind, but then has done his hamstring.
"If we had been going home with a point it would have been a just reward for our efforts. We had a game plan and we rode our luck a bit in the first half.
"They needed the win and you could see the relief when they got the winner, but I am very proud of the guys."
