UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 20th March 2007, 7.45pm
Bullets shot down
Gresley Rovers manager Gary Norton described this performance as 'not pretty' but it was enough to earn his side three points.
Norton had a selection headache with players unavailable, injured or suffering illness with even having to add Tony Hemmings onto the bench almost at the last minute.
Alsager made the early running forcing several corners in the first 15 minutes which came to nothing.
The first clear-cut chance came to the visitors after just 5 minutes. Danny Smith's free kick found Steve Elks totally unmarked at the far post but he somehow managed to place his free header well wide of the post.
On 21 minutes Sam Litchfield managed to fire a shot, from Chris Mawbey's flick on straight at keeper Matt Conkie.
If Norton had problems before the game they were made a whole lot worse on 38 minutes when Carl Slater was carried off the pitch with what looked like a severe injury.
It was the result of a mistimed tackle he made on Chris Budrys but unfortunately the Rovers midfielder came off worse and was yellow carded, the first of the season. He tried to carry on but it was soon obvious that he would not be able to continue replaced by Tom Groves.
Rovers were pushing for a goal and David Blenkinsopp collected the ball down the right touch line only to have his ankle injured in a tackle and he too had to leave the field with Tony Hemmings coming on to replace the front runner.
Before Hemmings was allowed on the field the home side took the lead just before the interval when Barry Woolley headed home Shaun Ridgway's 41st minute superb free kick.
The Bullets were mainly restricted to long-range efforts by some solid Rovers defending. On of those efforts came on 50 minutes when Danny Smith tried his luck only to see his shot go flying well over the bar.
Hemmings rolled back the years on 53 minutes when Mawbey played him through in on goal with a fantastic ball and with Conkie advancing he coolly slipped the ball past the keeper to double his side's lead.
Bullets substitute Fraser Robinson went close on 67 minute with a shot from distance that went wide of the upright.
Minutes earlier Norton had reshuffled his team bringing on Martyn Rowntree into the defence pushing Nicky Carter up front to partner Hemmings and the change almost produced a goal.
On 74 minutes Carter collected the ball deep down the left of Alsager's end and after beating his marker flashed a low shot across the face of the goal that Conkie did well to hold with Hemmings running in.
The Bullets had not given up and had two decent chances to get back into the game on 82 minutes. The first when Robinson hit a shot from distance that dipped over Clarke but just cleared the bar and Glyn Blackhurst firing wide seconds later.
Robinson went close again five minutes later but this time he put a header well over the bar when well placed.
Rovers had the last throw of the dice when Carter fired a low shot across the face of the goal and just wide of the far post.
Manager's View
"We did well to put eleven bodies out. Paul Edwards pulled his back earlier today at work. Liam Hebberd was taken ill when he got to the dressing room just before the game so we had to make a change and put Mr Hemmings on the bench.
"Matt Millns is stuck on the South coast and couldn't get back and Ravi (Sangha) has gone to India and Andy Simpson is down in London so it was really digging deep tonight just to get eleven bodies on the pitch and three on the bench.
"We then had three players go off injured the extent of which we are still trying to assess. Carl Slater has gone off in an ambulance and we are quite concerned about him because it could possibly be ligament damage. Our best wishes go to him because you cannot get a more committed player and he was having a decent game as well.
"Blenko (David Blenkinsopp) has come off injured as well. His ankle was like a balloon at half time and he's going to be a serious doubt for Saturday and then in the second half we had to take off Sam Litchfield because both his groins had stiffened up so we ended up putting the old guard on.
"Tony (Hemmings) came on a bit earlier than he would like. We give him some stick because of his age but he's got a great appetite for the game and obviously only found him on the bench less than half an hour before the kick off. But he's gone on and done well and he's got us that vital second goal which took all sorts of pressure off us.
"I'm delighted for him because he's great to have around the place because he's got all sorts of experience and knowledge. In training we try and get him ticking over and get him doing training because that's three or four vital games. I remember away at Bradford Park Avenue in similar circumstances we come away with an unlikely victory.
"With the situation we are in at the moment we are looking at the likes of Martyn Rowntree and Tony Hemmings. Chris Mawby made his home debut. He's got fantastic energy and he's learning quite fast. He had a good debut away from home on Saturday and he's followed that up and he's shown tonight that he's one for the future.
"There were some big positives out there tonight particularly with the work rate and the endeavour. It wasn't a pretty performance but if we'd have put together performances like that a little more often then we wouldn't quite be in the situation we are in, I'm sure of that.
"They really didn't have anything clear cut in our box maybe one or two half chances but what they did have was one or two good opportunities from distance and they could have put us under pressure with one or two close things.
"We rode our luck a few times. All sides have little spells during a game particularly their delivery from set plays was fantastic - great in-swingers particularly from the guy with the left foot.
"We defended well and dug in tonight and I don't really remember Dave (Clarke) having too many saves to make and fortuitously they didn't bring their shooting boots with them but we will take that all day - a clean sheet and a two nil win at home and we've finally burst the fifty point barrier.
"It was very pleasing because there is a lot of pressure around here at the moment and I'm dead pleased for the players. We've got a great group of players, very loyal."
