Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Chippenham Town
Rovers go six un-beaten
A
top ten position would have been inconceivable barely a month ago. But, after
a run of five straight wins and a creditable draw on Saturday, that is where
Gresley now sit in the Dr Martens Western Division.
Gresley showed grit and determination to come back twice against high-flying
Chippenham Town at the Moat.
The visitors should have taken the lead early in the first half. On 24 minutes
Simon Charity living up to his surname let Gresley off the hook by failing to
capitalise on some shoddy defending by putting his shot wide with only James
Lindley to beat.
Again it was Charity, who on 28 minutes was put through by James Bent but Lindley
this time blocked the shot and then saved well from Matt Rawlins who was following
up.
The good work by both Chris Gray and Andy Bourne was unfortunately wasted when
efforts were put just wide of the post.
On 53 minutes it was Chippenham who opened the scoring. Charity knocked in
a right wing cross and Richard Wardle appeared to loose the flight of the ball
in the sun and it skimmed his head only for Steve Brown to head the ball powerfully
into the net.
It took Gresley only a couple of minutes to get back on terms. Cheetham laid
the ball on to Steve Hutchinson, playing in his debut home game, and his shot
easily beat James Bitner in the visitor's goal.
It was a seesaw match with both sides getting the upper hand for periods of
the game. Perhaps the save of the match came when Bitner pulled off a superb
save denying Cheetham after Bourne had laid the ball back for the defender to
strike.
On 75 minutes Chippenham took the lead in controversial circumstances. Grantley
Dicks appeared to foul Ryan Ford and while the Gresley players was anticipating
a free kick he put the ball through to Rawlins who lobbed the keeper who had
walked from his line to check on Ford.
The
combination of Bourne and Cheetham made a chance for Ford but his goal bound
shot was deflected to safety.
McGinlay made what proved to be an important substitution on 74 minutes when
he replaced Gray for Gresley's top scorer Chris Parkins. He had only been on
the pitch for eight minutes when he received Cheetham's throw-in, expertly turned
Shane Andrews and smashed a low drive between the keeper and the post.
In their last 3 games Chippenham had scored 12 goals conceding only one but
they left the Moat knowing they had been in a battle against a fast improving
Gresley Rovers side.
The manager's view of the game
"I thought we gifted them two goals today, two bad goals. Richard Wardle lost
the first one in the sun and it just skimmed his head and their boy put it in
the net. That would normally be bread and butter to Richard.
Their second goal was a bit of a farce. It looked like a foul by Dicks on Ryan
Ford and everyone was still looking at the incident when the ball was put in
the net.
Credit to us, because we came back twice from being behind. They are an experienced
side. They've got a quite a few ex-league players in their team that provide
experience.
It's another point, a draw that keeps the run going. Steve Hutchinson took
his goal well as did Chris Parkins. Two good finishes, that's the difference.
They got two sloppy goals but we scored two good goals, two good finishes, two
strikers finishes.
All in all, probably, a draw was a true reflection of the game.
It was an entertaining game. They've come here knowing we were on a good run
and they are on a quite good run themselves. They've come here to disrupt us
a little bit and I thought we handled it quite well, we tried to play football.
I
thought in the first half we played the better football, they were down to just
break- a-ways. They are a counter attacking side and break quite quickly. I
thought we pinned them back in and they were just down to that. That's all they
had to offer in the first half.
In the second half the last 20 minutes were the same, we were the stronger
side, they were just hanging on.
In most respects you would expect that coming from the home side. They've hung
on and got a point, which I'm sure they are happy with. And if I was honest
and put my hand on my heart I think a point is a fair reflection.
We started the season and I was not happy with one or two things, some of the
players had not done as well as I thought they would have done and we felt we
had to go and get some new blood in the squad and all of them have been excellent.
They have made a big big difference to us. There is more resolve in the team
now. We've brought in people who don't like to be beaten and it shows.
If the team of old had gone one down that would have been it, but these boys
don't give in, they want to get back in the game, they don't want to get beaten.
Where we are in the league now is a tribute to the team and if you look at
the league table there are 10 points difference between 15th and 1st place.
It's a league where top are beating bottom and bottom beating top. No one is
running away with it and there is still plenty of time for us to catch up. We've
now gone 6 unbeaten and it is a testament to the lads resolve. We have had 1
defeat in 9 league games, which is good form.
We've had to go away and perform and it was good to take points from teams
near the top because it will allow us to catch them up.
The boys are walking with a spring in their step and it comes from this good
run. They really do believe in themselves and I think that's the biggest plus
for myself. When they are on the pitch they go looking for the ball. We've have
got no players hiding now. They are confident when they have the ball."
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Chippenham Town (0) 2
Scorers: Hutchinson 56, Parkins 82 (Gresley); Brown 53, Rawlins 75 (Chippenham).
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, Cheetham, Fairbrother, Woolley, Evans,
Bourne, Peters, Ford, Hutchinson (McGinlay 88), Gray (Parkins 74). Sub not used:
Fletcher.
Chippenham Town: Bitner, Vickerman, Dicks, Hunt (Skidmore 58), Andrews,
Woods, Brown, Charity, Bent (Mins 58), Rawlins, Harrington; Sub not used: Bright.
Rovers
Star Man: Jake Fairbrother - Fine all round performance.
Referee: C Sarginson (Rugeley).
Attendance: 394
