Pre-Season Friendly
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 11th August 2007, 3.00pm
Friendly Win for Badgers
Gresley Rovers ended their pre-season friendly games at the Moat Ground with a visit from Premier new boys Eastwood Town.
Town almost were gifted an early goal when on 9 minutes an attempted clearance by Rovers defender Jamie Hood beat his keeper Tom Allan but thankfully went wide of the post.
Three minutes later Allan pulled off a superb save tipping over the bar a deflected shot from Anthony Howells.
Howells was causing all sorts of problems in the Rovers defence and when close again few minutes later when he dribbled his way into the area before firing a shot that flew just wide.
It was then the turn of Town keeper to make a fine save when Rovers' striker Paul Edwards hit a vicious shot on the turn that Ian Deakin did well to tip over the bar.
The visitors were still making the better chances and went close on 27 minutes but Deon Meikle put his header wide. However, four minutes later they did take the lead. Howells ran at Hood cut inside and fired a low shot that beat Allan at his near post.
Howells had a chance to double his tally just before the break but skewed his shot wide.
Rovers had the first chance of the second half when after just two minutes a corner by Shaun Ridgway was met by Hood who stabbed the ball goalwards but it was caught on his line by Deakin.
The home side were to rue that missed chance because Town doubled their lead just a couple of minutes later.
On 49 minutes Town were awarded a free kick just outside the area. Ricky Hanson's kick beat the defensive wall and gave Allan no chance as the ball flew into the far top corner.
Hood almost got his side back into the game on 57 minutes when he met Adam Barradell's corner from the right with a powerful header that unluckily crashed back off the cross bar.
A minute later Rovers were awarded a penalty that mystified both players and supporters alike. Referee Mr King apparently saw a push as players tried to deal with a high ball in the area and pointed to the spot. Triallist Liam Shirley took the penalty and coolly slotted the ball past Deakin.
Rovers could have grabbed a second but just could not stroke the ball home after a scramble a yard of so off the Town's goal line.
For ten minutes or so Rovers had their best spell of the second period playing some good attacking football but the referee appeared to even things up a bit when he harshly adjudged that Allan had barged into Craig Swinscoe and gave Town a kick from the spot.
Swinscoe chose to take the kick himself but justice was seemed to be done as Allan pushed away the shot.
The final ten minutes largely belonged to the visitors with substitute Lindon Meikle bringing out a fine block from Allan. But, with just a minute remaining, Meikle did manage to get the better of Allan.
A defensive slip left Allan exposed and Meikle took the ball around the young keeper before slotting the ball into the empty net.
Manager's View
"I'm happy with that as it is our last pre-season game. Obviously the goal at the end took a little bit of the shine off it, it was very sloppy.
"In one ten second piece of action young Luke (Falmer), who we signed this week, gave the ball away and he's learnt that if you give the ball away cheap at this level you see what happens. He's here to learn and he's got the basic attributes and if he can listen and learn he's going to be a good player.
"It was much more encouraging in the second half. I felt as though we started off well for the first ten or fifteen minutes maybe a little bit longer but we very much finished on the back foot.
"In essence it was a good workout and there were some encouraging signs especially in the second half but we are not going to get too carried away because Paul (Cox) has got a very good squad. There were several of his regular players or players he would look to start the season with missing today and he's shown the depth of his squad - there are some good kids there.
"I think they'll do well in the Premier Division so good luck to them. I've got a lot of time and respect for Paul and what he's done. He's got them up into that division and I hope they kick on.
"My immediate concern is ourselves. I wish we'd got another week but we haven't. We are less than seven days away from kick off and we've got a big week in terms of trying to prepare right. I'm going to try and arrange a game on Wednesday whether it be a reserve game or a mixed game because there are some of the lads that need the fitness that are not in the picture to start next week and we want to get them up to match fitness as soon as possible.
"Looking at the reserves fixtures there is not many opportunities to do that so we are going to try and arrange something separately I think.
"It's been frustrating that we have not been able to field as near as our starting eleven as we can. Andy Simpson features highly in that. He's got a bit of a tight groin so we left him out of training on Thursday in the hope that he'd be right for today but he could still feel it so we were very much erring on the side of caution and left him out today. Andy is one of those who need that little bit more fitness.
"Luke Edwards has been drafted into Tamworth's squad which I thought he might have been. Obviously Tom Betteridge's injury has taken away the competition on the left hand side of midfield but I felt Adam Barradell who we tried a little bit further forward today acquitted himself very well and showed what a good signing we've got. He can play left back, left midfield even central midfield and he was a big plus today and I was quite pleased with that.
"Tom (Betteridge) started his treatment today on his hamstring and it's good news. It's not major hamstring damage, which it could have been. He's been given a fitness programme and some exercises and the guy that's been looking at him as said that within a week or even ten days if he does everything he's asked he can start training again coming back in two or three weeks so that's positive news for Tom but the ball's in his court because he's got to make sure he does what's asked on a daily basis to build the hamstring up."
