Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Stourport Swifts
Swifts hit for six
If
you arrived late at the Moat Ground on Saturday you missed a goal that gave
the Stourport Swifts keeper, Adrian Hipkins, a very red face indeed.
On 60 seconds Hipkins, under no pressure at all, took a wild swing at a long
pass back by his defender Jan Mulders. He completely missed the ball and to
his embarrassment saw the ball trickle into the empty net.
Rovers must have felt sorry for the Swifts because on 18 minutes they gifted
their visitors an equally soft goal. The home defence did not clear an easy
cross and looked on has Adam Nicholls placed a header past the helpless James
Lindley.
On 21 minutes Gresley re-took the lead from a short corner by Andy Cheetham
and Matt Moran. Cheetham floated the ball into the area and it was only partially
cleared as far as Jake Fairbrother who crashed the ball from the edge of the
box past Hipkins and into the far corner of the net.
On 24 minutes Swift's defender Dave Davies, who had been cautioned for a foul
on Parkins then stamped on Moran as he lay on the floor.
Moran had gone in late on Lea Shaw and was booked by the referee for that foul.
But Davies gave the West Bromwich official no option but to send him off with
many of the Gresley fans thinking it warranted a straight red card.
It
was now that Gresley began to take the initiative and slowly got on top.
On 29 minutes, challenging for a high ball in the area, Andy Bourne looked
to have been impeded but the impressive Fairbrother picked up the loose ball
put a superb pass through to Moran who then crossed with inch-perfect precision
to Bourne who headed in his first goal for the club since his arrival from Rocester.
On 49 minutes Gresley increased their lead when Cheetham was brought down deep
in the Swifts half. Moran lashed in a vicious near-post cross, which Quentin
Townsend could only head into his own goal.
On 56 minutes Stourport were given a chance to lessen the deficit when they
were awarded a penalty. Lee Booth cut across Barry Woolley in the area and the
unlucky defender just clipped his heels. The referee pointed to the spot and
Booth made no mistake in firing home the penalty.
Stourport
could have made it a frantic last half hour if Booth had not hit the post after
Cheetham allowed the ball to bounce over him and into the path of the striker.
Gresley took that as a warning and took control again as McGinlay brought on
Alex Green for Lee Westwood on 71 minutes, Mark Peters for Moran on 77 minutes
and Paul Fletcher for Fairbrother on 83 minutes.
On 83 minutes Bourne got his second of the match when Parkins' pass got through
to him and he hit a shot that beat Hipkins at the near post.
The last goal of the day was arguably the best. Fletcher collected the ball
raced down the right flank, around two or three retreating defenders and unleashed
a terrific shot which flew past Hipkins, hit the corner of post and upright
and into the net for his first goal for the club.
Although Gresley were forced to make changes because of Ryan Ford's injury,
Chris Gray's suspension and Steve Hutchinson's unavailability this was a magnificent
all round team performance against a Stourport side who were hoping to go top
of the Dr Martens Western Division that evening,
The manager's view of the game
"We got off to the perfect start. It happened to us against Bedworth here at
home down in the bottom goal when James Lindley came out of his goal and the
ball bobbled over his foot.
"I'm
surprised the ball reached the goal today, the goalkeeper looked at it then
he thought he'd go for it then he gave up. In the end I think he wished he had
gone for it.
"It gave us the perfect start and I thought we played some good stuff in the
first half and we gave away a poor goal. It was important to come out for the
second half and to keep it going because sometimes it's very hard to play against
10 men because they raise their game and play above themselves. But we came
out and got the goal early and I think that dented their ambitions. Saying that,
they did hit the post and the penalty was one of those where Barry, who had
got caught the wrong side of the player, just clipped the boy's heel as he ran
across him.
"Then we made the changes. I thought Matt Moran had another good game he's
coming on. I give him bit and pieces of games and he's in the squad and he's
getting more experience and he's getting more confident all the time which is
a good sign. But he got cramp in his left foot that's why we took him off. We
also took Lee Westwood off whom I thought had a good game as well in the middle
of the park, I thought he was fantastic.
"Lee came off because he had been booked and because he is a tenacious player
there was a danger that with them having a player sent off there was always
that chance that the referee might take the opportunity to even things up. So
we thought it was better to take him off and play safe. It was nothing to do
with his performance or anything else it was purely for that reason.
"Jake Fairbrother took a few knocks on Wednesday night got into today's game
carrying probably a couple of knocks and has done well. I thought his performance
was great again so I took him off for the last ten minutes to save his legs.
"There was no real reason to take anyone off .We saved players and those players
that had been booked.
"We were pleased because we were without a few players today. We were missing
Steve Hutchinson, Chris Gray and Ryan Ford. That's three good players we were
missing, but the players that have come in have all done well. It shows you
that if we have everyone fit we have a decent squad.
"Because of the state of the game I was pleased to be able bring Alex Green
on and give him a bit of a run out. It would have done him good today to get
him back into the swing of things because he's a bit rusty as he has been out
for quite a while. It will give him a boost.
"I will have a selection headache on Wednesday because nobody who has played
today deserves not to play.
"With the number of midweek matches coming up we need everyone fit and raring
to go. We are going to pick up knocks and there will be players close to suspension
so we are going to need everyone."
Gresley Rovers (3) 6
Stourport Swifts (1) 2
Scorers: Mulders (og) 1; Fairbrother 21, Bourne 29,83, Townsend (og) 49,
Fletcher 90 (Gresley): Nicholls 18. Booth (pen) 56. (Stourport).
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck, Cheetham, Westwood (Green 71), Woolley,
Evans, Bourne, Fairbrother (Fletcher 83), Moran (Peters 77), Parkins, Wardle.
Stourport Swifts: Hipkins, Davies, Ulfig, Townsend, Mulders (Hackett
83), Shaw, Cowley, Nicholls, Marsh, Booth, Southwick (Cooper 79). Sub not used:
Charlton.
Rovers
Star Man: Jake Farbrother - always the busy midfield master.
Referee: H Singh (West Bromwich).
Attendance: 305
